Can't Wash It Away
by Ninjalara
Summary: Five mutants with the same names as our turtle heroes, realise that they’re not the only ones. But before they can explore, they must save one of their own and liberate their nation. Xover epic. Completed!
1. And So The Story Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. Some of the characters used in this fic are based off them, meaning that they aren't exactly the same. The characters that I do own so far are Saringai, Raifu, Zaila, Keira and Zareb. Shere Khan is based off the 'Jungle Book', believe it or not. This will be a fairly long story so please be patient with me.

"speech"

'quotes'

'_thoughts'_

****

Can't Wash It Away.

Prologue.

"They killed her".

"Who? Zaila?"

Saringai nodded and sighed. The pain of loss filled his heart. Raifu felt a deep sorrow for his brother but he needed to press on as urgent matters were at hand.

"And Venus?" Raifu asked with a concerned look. "What of her?"

"She's alright. I managed to get to her in time before Shere Khan…" The lump in the back of his throat stopped Saringai from completing his sentence. '_Zaila…' _Tears swelled up in his eyes with the thought of her mauled body. Raifu put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I… I… I shoulda helped her… she…" "Shh… It's ok bro. I know. Just… just where is Venus now?"

"I… I put her with Keira and the boys", Saringai answered as a single tear slid down his cheek. Raifu moved to give his brother a comforting hug.

"It's gonna be ok dude. It's gonna be ok. As long as 'The Venus' is alive and well, then it's gonna be ok".

"I hope so bro, I hope so", Saringai whispered.

Chapter 1: And So the Story Begins…

Keira looked down at her five cubs. One month had passed from the day of their birth. A few weeks ago, their eyes hadn't even opened, but now all five were up and about exploring the den. The female cheetah gently smiled as the eldest cub, Michelangelo, stumbled over his own feet. His younger brothers sniggered. Michelangelo gave a sad puppy dog face in return before sticking out his tongue. '_Has to be the clown that one',_ Keira thought to her self. Raphael, the second eldest, continued to glare at Michelangelo, somewhat offended. 

Ever since the beginning Keira had trouble with her cub Raphael. He was always fidgeting and trying to find something to do. He usually ended up play fighting with one of his brothers. He was wild, he had that fire, that spark in his eyes which reminded Keira of his father. It was the reason why Keira named Raphael after him.

The name given to the third eldest was Donatello. Michelangelo and Donatello were difficult to tell apart, as they were identical twins. Donatello was the peaceful one. He would always try to get out of fights as quickly as possible… especially when he is fighting against a bored Raphael. Quiet he was to. A bit like the youngest male, Leonardo. Leonardo was a thinker. He would always find the time to be alone, to think about things which are way beyond his years. Not hard to please that one was. The thing that really separated Leonardo from the rest of her cubs was his baby blue eyes, which was unusual as cheetah's eyes were normally an amber colour.

The youngest of the lot was Venus, the only female cheetah cub. Determination flowed through her heart. She was the tomboy. She would play with the boys as much as she could. She never liked to be left out of things, just because she was a girl. She made sure that the boys knew that too.

Michelangelo whimpered. He was hungry again. _'He's always hungry',_ Keira frowned. She sighed. She needed to hunt or else her cubs would starve. Keira hated to leave her cubs, but she had no other alternative.

"Michelangelo…", she said. Michelangelo looked upwards at his mother, eyes full of excitement. His fluffy silvery fur made him look adorable. The other cubs crawled towards her. Keira smiled at the five gorgeous fluff balls that sat before her. "Michelangelo, I'm going out to get something to eat, ok sweetie. Now, you know not to go outside no matter what, don't you?" Michelangelo nodded. Raphael began to play with Keira's twitching tail, trying to pounce on it. "Ok then. Now Mikie you're the eldest so you're gonna be in charge till I get back ok. I love you all. I'll see you later then".

"Bye bye", Michelangelo chirped. Keira smirked. _'He's so cute'._ Raphael started to follow Keira out of the den, so she had to pick him up by the scruff of the neck using her teeth. She placed him back with the others. Raphael pouted. Keira exited her den. 

It was a rather fine day within the country of Lesotho. Snow capped peaks could be seen in the distance. Mystifying waterfalls could be heard. A cool breeze rippled through her short fur. She had seen a herd of rhebok grazing on a nearby plain earlier that day. She wondered if they were still there. She didn't travel very far before she bumped into none other than a tiger, a mutant one at that. 

Keira gasped. She tried to slip away unnoticed but it was too late for the mutant tiger had already spotted her. The mutant walked towards her on his two hind legs. 

"GET HER!" the tiger roared in English. Keira naturally didn't understand what he said, but she knew that something bad was going to happen. She was right in her assumption as two more mutant tigers suddenly appeared, growling menacingly. They licked their lips as they looked at their next possible meal. Without saying a word, all three tigers went after Keira. Keira darted through the trees, trying to get them off her tail. Thorn trees scratched her back as she so desperately tried to loose the mutants.

She bolted over the land she knew so well. She rounded a corner. She wasn't far from her den. She ran as fast as she could so that she would be safe with her cubs.

She shouldn't have gone that way. She should have kept running. If she didn't stop, then the mystery fourth mutant, a lion, wouldn't have got her. The first tiger caught up with Keira… and ended her life.

The cubs had heard the commotion outside their den. Curiosity overwhelmed the cubs and they eventually gave in to it. The cubs stumbled outside only to find their mother's bloody carcass, three weird looking tigers and a weird looking lion. Fear struck through their bodies. They stood frozen in disbelief. One of the tigers spotted them and motioned for the others to grab them. They walked over and picked up the cubs by the scruff of the neck with their hands. 

"Are these the cubs that Shere Khan was asking for?" one of the tigers asked. The first tiger looked the cubs over.

"Don't think so", he finally said. "They're not mutants. They're normal cheetahs. I'm pretty sure that Shere Khan was looking for four mutant male cubs of some sort, and one mutant female. I don't think these are it".

"Then what are we going to do now?" the mutant lion asked. The cubs struggled in the mutants' grip. None of them understood a word that was being said.

"We could train them. Train them as guard dogs, or guard cheetahs in this case. Humans used to do that", another tiger suggested. The first tiger thought about this.

"Yeah… I guess that could work. They'd be pretty good as male cheetahs naturally work in a team".

"But what about this female cheetah here?" The mutant lion held her up. Venus wiggled furiously.

"She'd only be good for a little while. Female cheetahs are shy and solitary animals when they grow up. She's useless. Kill her".

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

All four mutants turn towards the source of the mystery voice only to find that it belonged to Zareb, the only leopard cross lion mutant in all of Lesotho. He also stood on his hind legs but looked much less threatening compared with the other four. He was two years of age, a teenager in the animal kingdom. The first tiger sighed.

"Then what do you suggest we should do with her?"

"Well… I could keep her. Then when she's old enough I'll release her back into the wild. How about that?"

The four other mutants looked at each other. "Alright then. It's a deal", the first tiger says. The mutant lion passed Venus over to Zareb. "I'll see ya later Zareb". With that, the four mutants walked off, taking the male cubs with them. Venus shuddered with fright in Zareb's paws. She had no idea of what just happened. 

"You were lucky that time… Venus", Zareb said in animal talk to her. Surprised that he knew her name, Venus looked up at him. "It'll be ok, don't worry", he said to her before heading back towards his home. 


	2. Close Encounter

Chapter 2: Close Encounter.

Two months had passed since the day Keira was murdered. The boys were taken back to Ikhaya Labantu, a village hidden amongst the mountainous terrain of Lesotho that was unknown to man. Here lived a mutant society unofficially 'ruled' by a powerful mutant tiger called Shere Khan. No one dared to go up against Shere Khan, although many wished to. What made him so powerful were his allies. Many years ago Shere Khan and his large family and friends of mutant tigers, made an alliance with a pack of mutated lions that had moved from Kenya to Lesotho. The tigers too had moved to Lesotho after finding problems when living in Asia. Shere Khan gained control over the citizen's of Ikhaya through fear. There wasn't anything that anyone could do about it. Shere Khan's fortress was impenetrable. 

Shere Khan's fortress was located on the edge of Ikhaya Labantu. The 'mansion' as he called it, was carved out of stone. Large vines twisted around the rocky walls and foundations. The mansion was filled with stolen furniture and artifacts that made the place look quite exquisite. A crystal clear outdoor pond or 'swimming pool' rippled beside the far wall. Large sweeping lush, green lawns where surrounded by tall wooden fences and stable sandstone walls. It was hard to get into the place without being seen by one of his fellow mutant comrades or by one of his tamed animals. This was where the boys had been situated.

The three-month-old cubs had begun their training as guard 'dogs'. The tigers that trained them cared not for their names, as it was a ruling that when training animals, mutants weren't allowed to become too attached to them. All the cubs showed the potential to be very good fighters some day. After all, mutant lions and tigers had trained them. The tigers and lions favoured Raphael and Leonardo the most. Raphael liked to fight and hunt while Leonardo was loyal. What they didn't like was Michelangelo's fun filled attitude and Donatello's peaceful personality. 'The Identical Ones' as they were referred to, caused many headaches for the animal trainers.

*****

"So, has anything of interest happened lately with the locals?" Shere Khan asked Zareb. Shere Khan frequently invited Zareb over to his home to ask him almost the very same question. Shere Khan and Zareb both secretly hated each other but both had more reasons to stay 'friends' than to become enemies. Zareb had an extremely good reputation with the local citizens of Ikhaya Labantu, which helped Shere Khan as he could get inside information from him. Zareb remained friendly with Shere Khan, as he knew that he would not live for long if he were to become an enemy. 

"Oh, nothing much really. The…" Zareb was interrupted by the noisy conversation held in the next room.

"Ugh! Those bloody Identical Ones, I swear. It's one of the worst ideas the patrol team has come up with! If those two cubs don't stop smiling then I'm gonna…"

"SEBASTIAN!" Shere Khan roared. Sebastian popped his head round the wall that separated the two rooms. "Come here son", Shere Khan ordered. Sebastian did what his father said and walked into the room.

"What the hell were you talking about?" Shere Khan said, somewhat annoyed.

"I was talking about the cheetah cubs that arrived here about two months ago", Sebastian answered. Shere Khan raised an eyebrow.

"Cheetah cubs? What cheetah cubs?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Well obviously not as I would not have asked the question 'What cheetah cubs", Shere Khan says rudely. He slaps Sebastian on the head. "Moron". Zareb stands idly by, not wanting to get involved. Sebastian rubs his head.

"About two months ago, the patrol team brought in four cheetah cubs that could be trained as guard…"

"All male?" Shere Khan interrupts.

"Um… yes. They brought them in to…"

"You IDIOT! Where are they? They must be destroyed IMMEDIATELY!" Rage burned in Shere Khan's eyes. Sebastian gulped.

"They… they should be outside in the gardens somewhere… HEY!" Shere Khan pulls Sebastian by the ear, heading towards the gardens. Zareb followed, praying that a miracle will come and save the cubs from annihilation.

*****

It was the third time that day Michelangelo had been kicked in the stomach. He sulked in the yard, his stomach tight with ongoing pain. He didn't understand why he was being treated in this manner. He always tried to be as friendly as possible, but that never seemed to be enough for them. He was miserable. So was Donatello. Raphael and Leonardo, however, didn't mind and claimed that they enjoyed the treatment they were receiving. 

Michelangelo saw Donatello heading over. He didn't feel like talking, so he crawled into a nearby shrub.

"Mikie?" Donatello whispered through the leaves. Michelangelo didn't respond. Donatello crawled into the shrub and sat beside his older brother. Michelangelo noticed the cut on Donatello's face: the result of this morning's training session. Michelangelo felt sick in the stomach. 

"I dun' like t'is place very mutch", Michelangelo said suddenly after a few minutes of silence. Donatello nodded. Michelangelo could tell that he looked exhausted. Donatello shuddered and looked Michelangelo straight in the face, eyes full of despair. "I wanna go 'ome", Donatello whispered. He rested his head on Michelangelo's shoulder.

A whistle was heard not too far in the distance. It was the noise that was given when the cubs were wanted. The identical twins did not come this time; instead they both looked fearfully through the leaves of the shrub to see what was going on. 

Leonardo and Raphael had naturally answered on cue. Both of them obediently sat in front of the tiger that had always been their trainer. Donatello noticed the larger, fiercer looking tiger that stood behind the other. "Sometings eevil about t'is" Donatello said to his brother. The larger tiger looked at Raphael and Leonardo as though they were bugs that needed to be squished quickly. The enormous tiger pulled out two sais and approached the two cubs sitting in front. Michelangelo's eyes went wide. Something definitely was not right. 

Michelangelo screeched out the cheetah distress signal. Leonardo and Raphael's ears pricked at the alert. Shere Khan lunged for Leonardo, sai in hand. Raphael pushed his brother aside just in time to avoid Shere Khan's possibly fatal blow. Leonardo began to run, Raphael close behind. Michelangelo and Donatello ran from their hiding spot to join the others. Shere Khan had already recovered from his miss and was hot on the cub's tails. The young cheetahs accelerated to their top speed. Shere Khan had no hope of catching them now. The tiger, out of breath, stopped and threw both of his sais as a last resort. All four cubs dodged the final attack before running straight through the entrance and out into the wilderness. 

Sebastian and Zareb ran up to stand behind Shere Khan. "How… how come they could run that fast at such an early age?" Sebastian asked with a dumbfounded look upon his face. Shere Khan glared at him.

"Because it was THEM!" He yelled, his patience incredibly thin.

"What? But… but it couldn't have been them. I mean, they're not mutants".

"Yet", Shere Khan corrected. "They're not mutants YET! Don't you see? It's their destiny to become mutants, just like how it's their destiny to defeat ME!" Shere Khan angrily paced around trying to calm down. "When the patrol team found those cubs, was there a female cub amongst them?"

Sebastian shrugged. "If there was, then the patrol team didn't say a word about it". Zareb held a worried look.

"We'll have to find out then. All could not be lost. Come Sebastian. Let us have a little chat to the patrol team. I'll see you tomorrow Zareb", Shere Khan said. Both he and his son headed off back to the mansion. Zareb knew that it would not be long before the truth of the female's whereabouts was known. Zareb wasted no time and headed directly for home.


	3. Mutation

Chapter 3: Mutation.

Zareb sprinted through the front door of his home. His home was comprised of several huts made out of wood and animal skins. "Venus!" Zareb called out. The fluffy furred cub scampered out from underneath the table. He did not have much time. Zareb bent down to all fours and looked straight into her eyes. "Venus, you must leave now. Please. You can't stay here. Run! Run and never look back", he said in animal speak. He could sense that Shere Khan was not far off.

Venus looked confused, unsure of what she should do. "Go!" Zareb said, but she still didn't leave. Zareb didn't want to do this, but he had no other choice. Zareb growled menacingly and looked as though he was about to strike Venus. Terrified, Venus ran out the door, never looking back. Zareb sighed in relief. Now all he had to deal with was Shere Khan.

*****

The sun lay in the middle of the sky, which caused the shadows to disappear. Heat waves rose from the ground. Determined, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo all walk onwards. Their destination unknown. None of them knew that the next few minutes would change their life forever.

"We're gunna die ya no", Raphael says morbidly, finally breaking the silence. "Won way or anot'er", he added. The other three wished to rebut Raphael's comment, but they all knew it was true. They were still too young to hunt for themselves. Soon they would die from either starvation or from being eaten by a larger predator. Ironically this was the main reason why the cubs didn't escape from Shere Khan's mansion earlier: they needed protection. Now the cubs were truly on their own, with no one in the world to help them.

The group walked on to a wide, rocky dirt road. There the group stopped to figure out which direction they where going to head towards now. The sun beat down on their small furry bodies. 

"I sez we go t'at way", Raphael finally announced while pointing south. Leonardo disagreed. 

"It's danegerus t'at way. Too many 'ills. We s'ould go West", Leonardo suggested as an alternative. He should of known that Raphael was too stubborn to accept his way of thinking. A simplistic argument abruptly began.

"Sowth"

"West"

"Sowth"

"West"

"SOWTH!"

"WEST!"

Raphael's anger finally got the better of him. "SOWTH!" Raphael dived and tackled Leonardo. Donatello tried to get the furious Raph off his brother. Michelangelo stood frozen in his spot. He looked at what was down the road.

"Umm… guys… Wats t'at?" The fighting ceased. All eyes were on the approaching vehicle. None of them moved. Time seemed to stand still. Before the cubs realised that the oncoming truck was dangerous, it was already too late.

The truck skidded but it doesn't stop in time. The truck's load came around to the side, which caused the truck to go into a roll. The cubs tried their best to avoid the truck's contents, but they weren't quick enough. A barrel flew through the air and landed in front of Donatello's escape route. The orange chemicals inside the barrel, spurted out and on to Donatello. He squealed.

A barrel broke when it rolled over Michelangelo, squirting the same orange chemical. Another two barrels broke near Leonardo and Raphael. An eternity passed before the cheetahs found the strength to get away from the crash site. The driver lay stunned, still in the driver's compartment. 

*****

Venus made her way amongst the shrubbery, head low to the ground. She was a few hours traveling time behind the boys. The boy's scent was strangely familiar to her, which was why she was following it. Within the next few minutes, Venus came across the truck's crash site. Of course, it didn't look like a crash site anymore. The barrels had been cleared, the truck had been moved and the driver had been seen to. Venus watched a vulture that circled above. Without looking where she was walking, Venus accidentally stumbled down a small slope along side the dirt road, and slammed into a hidden barren that was lying in the shrub. Small orange particles filtered through the air and landed on Venus.

"What's this? What's happening? Who is that?"

A shadowy figure towered above the cowering cheetah cub.


	4. Saringai

Chapter 4: Saringai.

"They'll be here soon. All four of them".

"I hope so… Wait a sec, four? Isn't she with them?"

"No, I'm afraid not".

"Damn. You know what that…"

"Shh! They're coming. You know what to do".

*****

__

'We're not going to make it', Michelangelo thought to himself for the umpteenth time. _'I'm starving. I'd give anything to have something to eat right now'._ Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo slowly walked through the grassland, all starving and all confused. The sun beat down on Michelangelo's back. Heat waves swirled amongst the air. _'God I'm thirsty'._

"Hey… Raph".

"Yeah Leo".

"Do you feel… weird? I can't really describe it".

"Uh huh. I've felt like that ever since that orange crap spilled all over me", Raphael answered. Donatello stopped walking.

"Raph… say that again?" Donatello said with curiosity written all over his face.

"What? Why? You hearing impaired or something?" Raphael answered quite rudely. Donatello's suspicion was correct. They could all now pronounce their 'h' sounds. Though this was nothing big in itself, if Donatello's observations were correct, then it was after the accident when the cubs had gained this new ability. It was as though they had been advanced, or evolved. Even though Donatello was bursting to tell his siblings about this surprising observation, he reluctantly decided to keep it to himself as he felt that they had all gone through enough for one day. 

The cubs came to rest in the shade of a large tree.

"I'm so hungry!"

"Michelangelo, when are you not?" Raphael responded wearily, the heat finally getting to him. "We're doomed Michael. Doomed. There's nothing that we can hunt around here. We should have stayed with Shere Khan until we were a bit older".

"What? Raph, it's not like we had much of a choice you know. He was gonna kill us", Michelangelo retorted. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else apart from his hunger. There was a snap in the tree. Michelangelo came out of his trance and looked up at the leopard prowling along a branch in the tree. The cubs quickly moved away, not wanting to be it's next meal.

"Stop! I'm not going to hurt you", the leopard explained after he jumped off the branch and neatly landed on the ground. It was easy to see that this was no ordinary leopard as he stood on its two hind legs. He was wearing an indigo pair of cargo shorts along with an indigo bandanna/mask to match.

"Why should I believe you?" Raphael asked with a hint of disgust in his voice. Michelangelo looked at the leopard closely. Something inside told him that he should trust the overgrown creature standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" Michelangelo asked.

"My name is Saringai. You all look tired and hungry. I can help you. Please, follow me", the leopard spoke with a deep understanding voice. The cubs looked to Michelangelo, who only shrugged in reply. They followed Saringai to a clean water hole. The cubs eagerly drank the cool water while Saringai sat back and watched.

"Must be thirsty", the leopard commented. "I've got some meat back near the tree if you boys want some".

"Yes please!" All the cubs said at once while in-between sips.

*****

"Where's the meat?" Donatello asked. A puzzled look spread across the cub's faces.

"Oh, it's here. Don't worry". Saringai pulled on a vine dangling from the tree. A part of the trunk lifted up to reveal a staircase in the middle of the tree. Saringai walked up the stairs. The cubs curiously followed. The stair lead to a platform hidden within the tree's thick branches. The cubs looked at their new surroundings. To the left was a small wooden bridge leading to another tree. Another bridge lead off to the front diagonal left. On the right wall was a rack where a bo fills one of the spaces. In the center of the room was a wooden table and a set of chairs. A mass of cords, wires and small gizmo's lay in a heap on the table.

Saringai finally spoke. "I know what you're going through. I know what that weird feeling inside of you is. If you agree to stay with me, I can teach you how to grow to your full potential. I can teach you many things, things far beyond your imagination. The choice is yours. Stay with me and see how powerful you become, or you can walk out the door and wonder what you're missing".

"What do you think guys?" Michelangelo whispered to his brothers.

"You're the eldest, therefore you're the leader".

"Whatever you say we do Michael".

"I don't care either way".

__

'Great! Just the response I wanted. I don't know what we should do. All I know is that we'll starve to death if we walk out that door. I don't know if we should trust him. He seems nice enough, but you never know, he might try to kill us just like those weird tigers. Wait a second… What am I thinking? This guy's got food!'

Michelangelo smiled. "So… where's this meat of yours?" Saringai smiled back.

"Welcome, my students".


	5. Life's Going To Change

Chapter 5: Life's Going To Change.

"Ok, ok. I think I've got it right this time. So you're Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello?" Saringai guessed, pointing to each of the cubs in turn. He ate another bit of meat off his plate. He felt unusual, lying on the floor. He usually sat at the table to eat his meals but couldn't today, because he felt it was bad manners to be the only one sitting at the table as the cubs naturally sat on the floor. Tables and chairs were a new thing for them.

Michelangelo and Donatello giggled. "I'm Michelangelo and he's Donatello", Michelangelo corrected. 

"Ok, so you're Donatello and you're Michelangelo?" Saringai tried again, pointing to Michelangelo then Donatello. The two cubs laughed. "You're identical twins aren't you?" Saringai asked. They both nodded. "Ah, no wonder I can't get it right!" The two little cheetahs grinned. "So I guess you two would want to be in the same room then?" Saringai suggested.

"Room?" All the cubs said at the same time. Saringai pointed to the two wooden bridges that exited from the tree they were currently in.

"There are two bedrooms. Two to each room. As for me, I am quite comfortable sleeping on one of this tree's branches. So, you two, Michelangelo and Donatello, will be sleeping in the bedroom on the left while Raphael and Leonardo will have to share the other bedroom. That ok?" The cubs nodded in agreement.

Leonardo yawned. "Can we see our new bedrooms?" 

"Yeah, sure you can. Have you had enough to eat?" Saringai questioned. Their little furry heads nodded in reply. Saringai collected their plates and put them up on the table. He then walked over the wooden bridge to Michelangelo and Donatello's new room, making sure the cubs followed. 

The little wooden planked bridge connected the large tree they were just in, to the tree next door. Just as before, Saringai pulled on a vine to lift up a part of the trunk allowing them to go into Michelangelo and Donatello's new bedroom. They walked onto a new platform that was well hidden amongst the tree branches. The area was considerably smaller than the main/dining room they were just in. A rather large, wooden, soft white bed lay against the left wall. A second bed lay against the wall opposite to the first. The beds were too high for the cubs to climb in themselves, so Saringai gently placed them on top of the mattress and tucked them in. Michelangelo was in the left bed while Donatello was in the right.

Saringai then took Leonardo and Raphael back into the dining room before going across the other wooden bridge that was connected. Here they went across to another neighbouring tree. Leonardo and Raphael's bedroom was very similar to that of their brother's. Saringai tucked Raphael into the left bed and Leonardo into the right one. Saringai said his goodnights before leaving his new students to sleep after experiencing a day that they will surely remember forever.

*****

Four male cheetah cubs stared upwards at their mentor. "Ok, today we will be learning English", Saringai announced to the expressionless fluff balls.

"Ing Lish?" the cubs said uncertainly.

"Yes, English. It is very important, as it is the international language for Intelligent Mutations", Saringai assured them. The boys looked at each other.

"Mutations?"

Saringai sighed. He figured that he might as well try to explain it to them now. Saringai sat cross-legged on the floor and looked the boys straight in the eye. He thought for a little while, before beginning to explain. "A mutant is a living thing which has undergone a change of some sort. The change is usually genetic but mutations can also be created from chemicals and radiation". Saringai took a deep breath. "Yesterday, when you were covered with the orange 'stuff', that caused you to change into what you are now… mutants".

The cubs gasped. They each held a shocked expression on their face. Donatello was the first to speak. "S… so we're mutants?" Saringai nodded in response.

"The next few weeks may be very weird and frightening for you. There could be some rapid changes to your body that may… freak you out a bit. Just always remember that you're not alone. You have each other and you have me. You're welcome to talk to me about anything", Saringai said reassuringly. The cubs nodded slowly, still realising the enormity of it all. 

Saringai stood up and continued the lesson. "Now, English is made up of words which are made up of letters. These letters are put into a sequence called the Alphabet. The first letter of the alphabet is the letter 'A'. Repeat after me, 'A'". The cubs tried to make the sound 'A' but could only make meows, squeaks and chirping noises. "A", Saringai said the vowel again. 

"Hey!" Leonardo said in English. Saringai applauded him.

"Very good Leonardo, just try to drop that 'H' sound".

"Ay!" Raphael said. Saringai just smiled and shook his head. This was going to be a very, very long day.


	6. Walking, Fighting and Nudity!

Chapter 6: Walking, Fighting… and Nudity!

The bo whipped around, expertly striking it's precise destination. Saringai concentrated hard on his bo kata; movements were swift, powerful and experienced. It was a beautiful day today, so Saringai decided to practice his kata on the grass just under the tree. He was so wrapped up with his own training that he didn't notice the four cheetahs watching with awe from the branches.

"Hey Master, could you teach us to do that?" Raphael asked in English, excitement glistening in his eyes. It had been two weeks since the boys had been mutated, and they had already undergone significant changes. The biggest change was their ability to learn. They were very fast learners, Saringai had observed. He concluded that maybe it was because of their fast metabolism and lifestyle, then again, they were mutants and it could have been anything. It had only taken three days for the cheetahs to learn how to pronounce every sound needed in the English language, and it took the rest of the week for the cubs to learn how to structure their sentences. They could now speak English quite fluently and used it most of the time instead of 'animal talk'. 

Another difference was their dew claw. Over the past two weeks, the fifth toe had doubled in size and became an opposable digit. Their other toes also became longer, but not as much. This came in handy as the cubs could now pick up things with their front paws. Saringai took advantage of this new ability and began to teach the boys how to write, add and subtract. 

The only other thing that had changed over the past two weeks was the shade of their coats. Leonardo's coat had lightened to what could be called a blonde, while on the other hand, Michelangelo and Donatello's coat had darkened. In the animal kingdom, this coat would be considered as a dark brown. Raphael's fur was the only one that remained its original colour of tan/light brown.

"I plan to, Raphael", Saringai answered. "But first you must learn how to walk on your hind legs", he added. 

"Oh cool!" Michelangelo and Raphael said together. Both were excited, but Michelangelo helped to show that excitement more than his brother did by jumping up and down on the branch. Leonardo tended to be a bit more reserved while Donatello was still fascinated with the bo in Saringai's hand.

"Well, come down here and I'll teach you", Saringai called. In less than a minute, the cheetahs climbed off the branch (or the dining room wall as you might say), ran through the dining room and bolted down the stairs to their Master. They sat in a line, oldest to youngest and put on a big grin. The leopard couldn't help but smile back at the eager youngsters.

"Walking is fairly hard at first because you are not used to balancing all of your weight on your hind legs. But sure enough, practice makes perfect, and soon it will become almost natural. Any volunteers?" Michelangelo, like a puppy dog eager to please it's master, bounded forward. Saringai bent down and held Michelangelo's front paws, slowly lifting them up, allowing the cub to get a feeling of what it's like on two feet. When the little cheetah seemed to have adjusted his balance, Saringai very slowly and carefully let go of his front paws. Michelangelo's eyes widened as panic started to settle in. He lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on his butt. 

"Unco", Raphael muttered under his breath. It was loud enough for the leopard to hear.

"Raphael, you're doing this next, so I wouldn't be teasing your brother if I were you", Saringai said sternly. Raphael gulped. Michelangelo gave Raphael one of his 'ha ha, you got busted' looks. Saringai helped support Michelangelo to stand on his two feet again. "Are you ready?" Saringai asked, not wanting the cub to panic again. Michelangelo nodded in reply. Saringai let go of his two front paws just like before. The cheetah wobbled a little before managing to balance perfectly on two legs. Michelangelo beamed a giant smile up at his master. The leopard smiled back with satisfaction. 

*****

__

Three months later…

"Hiyah!" The cubs kiaied in unison after completing a fairly well trained kick to the head. Once again, Michelangelo's attention was diverted as though something was bothering him.

"MICHELANGELO!" Saringai yelled. He hated raising his voice but it was one of the easiest ways of getting the cub's attention. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing. "Michelangelo…" Saringai repeated "… please pay attention. Don't make me tell you again." 

Saringai remembered when he first started training Michelangelo. He was energetic, fun-filled and was prepared to try new things. Recently though, he seemed to be getting restless and somewhat uncomfortable. This attitude was starting to irritate Saringai. Saringai knew that Michelangelo could be better, if only he put more effort into it and took it more seriously.

All of the boys were fairly good at hand-to-hand combat. Leonardo especially, as he dedicated himself entirely to the task at hand. He was a perfectionist, enough said. His technique was near perfect, unlike his brothers. The only problem was that he stuck to the rules and boundaries, like how glue sticks to paper, not allowing himself to be creative or to develop his own style, unlike his older brother Raphael who seemed to improvise and invent every move that he did. Leonardo had the technique, but Raphael had the vigorous fighting spirit. Saringai had noticed that Raphael's raw fighting made him somewhat erratic, versatile and unpredictable in sparring sessions. Saringai did not really disapprove of this, but wished that Raphael had a better attitude towards class. Raphael, like Michelangelo, was constantly not paying attention, lacked punctuality and tried his best not to participate in group activities. He simply did not listen to instruction, unlike Leonardo who attended class like some kind of ritual, which both pleased and bothered Saringai.

Donatello on the other hand was completely different yet again. The cub was a good student, always attentive in lessons and participating when needed. Yet he didn't have that survival instinct like Raphael, nor found it fun like Michelangelo and wasn't as determined as his younger brother Leonardo. Donatello was stable, neither good nor bad. He completed every move to the best of his ability, but only half-heartily attacked in sparring sessions. He was too gentle. Saringai tried to change that by telling Donatello to be more aggressive, but Donatello failed to live up to his master's expectations. 

It wasn't just in class Donatello was like this. He was also like this in hunting lessons. The cubs were six and a half months old and needed to start learning how to hunt for their own food if Saringai wasn't able to do it. Saringai tried his best to teach the cubs how to hunt in cheetah style. He gave them hunting practice by allowing them to chase after their prey; of course they weren't able to kill it though. Out of all the cubs, Donatello was the one who protested against the training the most.

Saringai sighed. "Alright everybody, class dismissed". The four cubs exhaustedly headed to their respective rooms. "Except you, Michelangelo. You are to stay back". Michelangelo gave his brothers a look of despair before walking back to his master. Saringai waited till the other three were in their rooms before beginning his discussion. Michelangelo kept his gaze on the floor. The leopard bent down to Michelangelo's eye level. 

"My student, something is bothering you. I can tell because it is effecting your studies. If you do not wish to talk about it, then I assume that it isn't important and I expect you to pay attention in class from now on. However, I am here to help you and I want you to tell me what is happening. It hurts me to see one of my pupils suffering in silence. Please tell me what is wrong".

Michelangelo's gaze still remained on the floor, slowly tracing his toe around. His teacher was right. Something was bothering him. Saringai reached out and held both of Michelangelo's shoulders with his two powerful yet gentle paws. "What's wrong?" Saringai asked again, more softly this time. The cub's cheeks began to blush and he started to twiddle his thumbs. Michelangelo stuttered out an answer.

"I… I was just um … wondering if um… we could wear some uh… pants because… well…" Saringai knew all too well what the cub was saying. 

"I understand Michelangelo. Thank you for telling me what was wrong. Wait here", Saringai said, interrupting the cheetah's explanation. Saringai felt quite dumb for not picking this up sooner. He was sure that the other three had felt the same, only they hid their feelings better than Michelangelo did. Saringai made his way outside, walking over to the 'storage tree' as he had named it. The storage tree was less than a minute's walk away. It couldn't be attached to the living quarters by a wooden bridge because it was simply too far away and it would be suspicious to Saringai's enemies. Inside it were all sorts of miscellaneous objects from old weapons to cooking utensils, even old batteries. Saringai grabbed what he was looking for and headed back to the main tree.

When he got back, he called everyone into the dining room. Obediently the cubs came. Raphael gave a look of disappointment when he saw that Michelangelo wasn't bawling his eyes out like he usually did after Saringai talked to him alone. The leopard handed out two pairs of red cargo shorts and a red bandanna to each cub. All the cubs were delighted to finally have some clothes. Saringai helped them get dressed (except for Raphael who insisted that he wanted to dress himself) and helped them adjust their bandannas so that the eye holes were in the right spot. Saringai stood back and admired his little ninjas.


	7. Ikhaya Labantu

Chapter 7: Ikhaya Labantu.

Donatello grumbled and forced himself out of bed. He couldn't stand it any longer. Donatello tiredly grabbed his pillow and headed across the wooden bridge towards the dining room. He was surprised to see his master still awake, sitting at the table. "What are you doing still up?" Donatello uttered through a yawn. Saringai looked up from what he was working on.

"I could ask you the same thing", the leopard said simply. Saringai looked Donatello up and down. The boys were now one year old and were the size of regular cheetahs. The only thing that set the cubs apart from the adults, was their silvery mane that still lined their backs. Over the past six months the boys had grown rapidly, so rapidly in fact, that they grew out of their red cargo shorts in what seemed no time at all. When it came to replacing the shorts, Leonardo held a good debate over why he shouldn't wear red, as it didn't match his baby blue eyes. Saringai gave into his request for another colour and presented Leonardo two dark blue pairs of shorts and a matching bandanna.

Donatello then had complained that if Leonardo was allowed another colour, then he should be allowed a different colour as well. Purple was his colour of choice and Saringai complied. As for Raphael and Michelangelo, both liked the red and decided to keep it. Yet because Michelangelo was outside playing for most of the day, the red soon faded into a dark orange, which Michelangelo didn't mind about, as he liked that colour also.

Donatello yawned once again. "I couldn't sleep. Michael's sleep-eating again", he tiredly explained. Saringai nodded his head before stopping to think about what Donatello had just said.

"Sleep-eating? He _eats_ in his sleep?" The adult asked with a 'what the?' expression. Donatello nodded his head; a big smile swept his face. Saringai shook his head in disbelief. "That boy will never cease to amaze me". Saringai went back to what he was working on. The cub walked over to the table. Masses of wires, microchips and plastic frames lay in front of the occupied leopard. 

"What are you doing?" Donatello finally asked, fascinated with all the wires in assorted colours. 

"I'm working on portable communication devices so that you boys will be able to contact each other if need be", Saringai answered, not looking up from what he was doing. 

"Like a walkie-talkie or something?"

"No, more like a mobile phone", Saringai corrected. Donatello placed his pillow on the floor and walked over to stand beside his master so he could see more clearly what the leopard was doing. 

"Can I help?" Donatello finally voiced. Saringai nodded and pulled out the chair beside him. Donatello sat down.

"Now, these blue wires have to be connected to the yellow through the microchip here, so that the flow of electricity isn't disrupted. So to do that…"

*****

The fourteen-month-old cubs looked down at the seven objects before them; a bo, two sais, two katanas and two nunchucks, all lined up on the floor of the dining room. Saringai paced around, something that he did when he was about to say something important.

"Each of you will receive one of these weapons before you. From this day onward, you will train with them, learning the disadvantages and advantages of your particular weapon. Eventually, you and the weapon will act like one. It will soon feel like the weapon is an extension of your own body. So, it is important that you make the right choice, and choose the weapon that is best for you. In a couple of seconds, I will ask you to choose your weapon, the weapon that will be with you for life. Think long and hard before you step forward and claim it, my students. When you've made up your mind, calmly come forward and pick up your weapon of choice. You may claim your weapon… now!"

Immediately Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo lunged for the coolest looking weapon, the katana. "So much for 'think long and hard' and 'calmly come forward'"_, _Saringai murmured, appalled at the cub's behaviour. When Leonardo had successfully grabbed the katana, Michelangelo and Raphael dived towards the next coolest weapon, the sai. A tug-of-war competition broke out.

"Back off Michael! I grabbed the funny forky thingies first!" Raphael growled, pulling at the sai. Raphael gave Michelangelo a light kick to the stomach which caused him to lose his grip on the sai. "Yeah! I got it!" Raphael cheered. Defeated, Michelangelo hurriedly grabbed the two nunchucks off the floor.

Donatello, who had been standing there shocked the whole time, came forward and picked up the last weapon of the floor, the bo. "Donny got the stick!" Michelangelo called out, giggling. 

"Michelangelo, it is not a stick, it's a bo, and it is not a bad weapon. When I was your age, my master allowed me to choose a weapon. I chose the bo because it was simple, effective, had great defense and good attack power", Saringai said.

"Your master?" All the cubs had asked at the same time. Saringai couldn't bear to tell them about who his master was, as it would lead into many more unspoken questions of his past. 

"Never mind", he simply said. The cubs decided not to push the subject any further. There was a silence, which was finally broken with Leonardo's voice, asking Saringai the question that had been bothering him for months.

"Master, why are we learning Ninjitsu?"

"I'll show you why," Saringai answered.

*****

Mutants walked by left, right and centre. For the cubs, this definitely was a culture shock. For most of their life, the cubs had been living with only Saringai and their brothers. Now they were in the middle of a busy courtyard, bewildered by the number of people.

"Welcome to Ikhaya Labantu", Saringai announced happily. The cubs looked around. There had to be over fifty mutants living here, all herbivores. There must have been over ten different species of African animals, from mutant gazelles to mutant warthogs. Smallish huts filled the area, along with many stalls owned by mutant shopkeepers. 

"Most of the animal species that you see here are not native to Lesotho. As you can imagine, it can be quite hard to find the correct food. So most of the mutants here grow their own crops to trade. Trade is a very important part of life for these people and it is highly regarded. The mutants that live here are very peaceful. Here, everyone is regarded as an equal", Saringai explained to his unusually quiet students.

The boys eyed the local mutants. Everyone seemed to be whispering something about them. It made the cubs feel uneasy.

"What are they saying about us?" Leonardo quietly asked Saringai.

"I can guarantee that they're saying nice stuff about you, don't you worry", Saringai answered.

All too suddenly there was a silence. Not a word was spoken by anyone in the village. "Stand close", Saringai whispered to the cheetahs. It didn't take long to see what the 'fuss' was about. Shere Khan and some of his troops had arrived. He wore a maroon bandanna and long blue pants. He was armed with two sais which were held with his black belt, tied around his waist. The local mutants quivered in fear. They knew that one hit from Shere Khan would mean certain death. Shere Khan glanced around, all too easily spotting the newcomers. Shere Khan furiously walked up to Saringai and the cheetahs. 

"Why are you here?" Shere Khan asked fiercely. He eyed the leopard and cheetahs with disgust. The cubs craned their necks upwards to look at the towering Siberian Tiger.

"Just here to do some trading, if that's alright with you", Saringai answered back both sternly and rudely.

Shere Khan growled. He angrily looked at the cubs. In defense, the cubs withdrew their new weapons. Shere Khan noticed that Raphael was incorrectly holding his sais.

"If you plan on defeating me with those pathetic excuses for ninjas, then you've got another thing coming. You can't and you won't beat me, not when I have the 'Book of Mutants' on my side", Shere Khan boasted. Saringai glared angrily back. Shere Khan noticed that all of the local mutants were listening in. He straightened. "I wish you all the best of luck", he said modestly before adding evilly, "you'll need it". Shere Khan stormed off, his troops following.

Saringai sighed out the breath he hadn't realised that he'd been holding. The local mutants slowly returned to what they were doing. "He's our enemy isn't he?" Michelangelo asked quietly, a little scared about what just happened. Saringai nodded in response. It was then that Saringai noticed an all too familiar face.

"ZAREB!" Saringai called out over the noise of the crowd. It worked. Immediately Zareb ran over to Saringai with a big smile on his face. They shook hands and gave each other a quick hug.

"How long has it been?" Zareb questioned.

"Too long", Saringai answered. Zareb noticed the cheetah cubs behind Saringai.

"Wow! You guys have grown! Last time I saw you, you were tiny!" Zareb said excitedly. The cubs looked deeply confused. "Guess you don't remember me".

"Zareb's an ally of ours. His father was a friend of mine. He was a great warrior and I feel honoured for having the opportunity to fight beside him. Those are his katanas in fact", Saringai explained. Leonardo looked at his two katanas with admiration. Saringai turned his attention back to Zareb. "Do you know where Shere Khan is keeping the 'Book of Mutants'? I thought that it might be wise to retrieve it as soon as possible after that little encounter just then".

Zareb nodded with understanding. "I do know where it's kept actually. Come back to my place and I'll draw you a map". Saringai agreed and, along with his students, followed Zareb back to his hut.


	8. Their First Mission

Chapter 8: Their First Mission.

__

'Huh? How'd I get here? Where am I?'

Venus starred at the burning building behind her. She was no longer the little cub that she used to be. She had become a mutant cheetah. The mutation seemed to have the same affects on her as the boys. Venus's learning speed was increased greatly, her dew claw had turned into an opposable digit and her other toes had grown longer. Surprisingly, she could also walk and speak in English, though she had forgotten how she had learned. The one big difference though, was her human like voluptuous bust, over which she wore a pale green tank top to cover. Venus reached into the pocket of her baggy pants and pulled out a packet of matches. She looked at the matches with confusion before throwing them aside into the nearby bushes. She picked up her bag that she had packed prior, though no longer remembered when, and ran off into the mountains of Lesotho.

*****

"…Anyway, this new book that I've been reading says that it is possible to gain special powers by accessing one of the thirteen different dimensions linked directly to Earth! Isn't that cool?" Donatello blabbed on to his tuned out brothers.

"Uh-huh", they all answered in unison, their minds elsewhere. Ever since Donatello started helping Saringai with the mobile phones, Donatello has gone electronic mad. He started reading books about technology, physics and sometimes even chemistry. Donatello was usually up till all hours of the night (mainly because he couldn't sleep with Michelangelo's strange nocturnal eating habits) experimenting with all the microchips, wires and batteries that Saringai supplied him with; none of his inventions worked. Donatello's new goal was to build his own laptop computer, once he's got all the parts. But till then, Donatello was content just reading about the new theories of time travel and other mind-bending topics.

"… And this dimension, right, is oval shaped, so there are weaker points than others…"

"Uh-huh", they all answered in unison, still walking to their destination.

"… So this scientist thinks that if you time it correctly, then data can cross into other dimensions through these weaker points…"

"Uh-huh", they all answered in unison.

"Hey Don?" Raphael suddenly said. "What's the name of that book you're talking about?"

"Oh… um… Thirteen Dimensions", Donatello answered, surprised that Raphael of all people was taking an interest.

"Ok, when we get back home, I'm gonna find that book and tear it to shreds", Raphael threatened. Leonardo and Michelangelo smiled in agreement. Donatello shut up and the boys walked in silence for a few minutes, thinking about what they were about to attempt; their first mission. 'Get in, grab the Book of Mutants, then get the hell out of there' were Saringai's instructions. Their master had lead them as far as Ikhaya Labantu before saying that they were on their own, because he would be too slow to get past Shere Khan's patrols. Speed was the one thing that was on the cheetah's side. Before they separated, Saringai made them all wear full body length, hooded black coats. He had told them that it would help camouflage them better in the shadows of night. 

Michelangelo looked through the darkness, trying to read the map Zareb had drawn for them. According to Zareb's memory, the book was located on the second floor in the room next door to Shere Khan's bedroom. _'No easy task',_ he thought. Michelangelo was especially nervous about tonight as this was the first time he could fully use his leadership status. His heart was pumping a mile a minute, but tried his best not to show his fear on the outside.

The group stopped walking when they had reached the outside fence of Shere Khan's mansion. They silently boosted each other over the sandstone wall. Once over, they ducked down to hide in the shrubbery, preparing to cross the large yard. "Remember what Saringai has taught us…" Leonardo whispered. "… We must move in shadow. We're one with the night. Total stealth, total silence. We're ninja, we must…"

"Leo… we're just going to bolt across the lawn", Michelangelo interrupted.

"… Oh…"

Altogether, the cubs ran across the lawn at top speed. It wasn't as far as they had expected, and arrived next to the rocky walls of the compound in no time. The cubs looked nervously around. They knew that Shere Khan kept tamed hyenas, but luckily nothing came. One by one they started to climb up the vines which had grown up along the wall. 

Climbing was one of those weird talents that no one could explain. Cheetahs usually could climb trees (after experiencing some difficulty), but the way the cubs climbed was similar to that of a leopard. They were excellent. Donatello thought that the talent might of come from seeing Saringai climb up trees all the time, but the others thought it was unlikely. Another weird yet useful attribute that they had, was their amazing night vision. The cubs could see at night almost perfectly, similar to Saringai, while a normal cheetah would find it hard. This quality was definitely going to come in handy tonight. By far, the cub's most unusual ability was the ability to roar. This was the trait which had the cubs stumped the most. Cheetahs simply don't have the correct shaped voice box to be able to roar. So how come the cubs can?

Using the vines, they each swung over to one of the many second-storey balconies. Zareb had told them that the room that this particular balcony belonged to was vacant. Fortunately, he was right. The cubs clambered inside the pitch-black room, catching their breath. All of a sudden, the boys heard a low growl.

"What was that?" Raphael whispered, listening hard to the deafening silence that followed.

"I think that was my stomach", Michelangelo whispered sheepishly back.

"… You sure?"

"Yeah… I'm hungry". Michelangelo could almost hear his brothers roll their eyes. 

They ever so slowly opened the double doors that, according to the map, should lead to a corridor. The cubs wouldn't be surprised if a lion was up and about. Zareb had warned them that there could be at least one guard. They looked down the corridor that was well lit with the gas lamps hanging from the ceiling. Nothing. Normally they would be happy, but something was really suspicious about this. It didn't take them long to figure out what happened to the guard. 

The cubs had stepped out of the dark room and into the corridor, where they followed it to the end where it abruptly made a right turn into the next conjoining hallway. Michelangelo sneaked his head around the corner only to find a lion lying on the floor. At first he thought the guard was asleep, but at closer inspection, he found that the lion had been knocked unconscious. 

__

'We're not alone'.

*****

Venus furiously skimmed through the 'Book of Mutants' hoping to find some answers. She couldn't remember her past, and the little bits she did where unclear and short. Her last clear memory was of this morning, when she had been standing outside the burning building. She couldn't really remember anything before that. She only just remembered her name, but she only found that out because it was written on the bag she had been carrying.

After a couple of hours traveling, Venus had unexpectedly found Ikhaya Labantu, where she sneaked around, trying to find some answers. It was then that she came across this hut, strangely familiar to her. She had listened in on the conversation inside which mainly revolved around something called the 'Book of Mutants'. What ever it was, it seemed very important. With nothing much to lose, Venus decided to look for the book, hoping that it will hold some answer to her past, or at least what she is.

It was a quite a chilly night that night; so she pulled out the full length hooded coat from her bag and put it on. Following the instructions that she had over heard, she crept into the mansion, trying to find the book. It was then she spotted a lion, which she instinctively knocked out with a move she didn't even remember learning. Now, still standing in the room where she had found it, Venus anxiously searched for answers… if there were any.

There was a noise. Venus swiveled around to face four cloaked figures. She held the book defensively. 

*****

The boys had slowly crept into the room where the book should be. They were surprised to see a fully cloaked figure searching through the artifact. The stranger seemed to sense them and turned about face, holding the object that they desired. 

"What do you want?" The stranger asked all at once. The boys where shocked when they heard a feminine voice. The boys didn't know that the figure was a female cheetah, and the same vice-versa, because the coats they were wearing covered most of their body.

"We've come for the book", Leonardo said. The figure slowly stared at the thing in her hands, thinking.

"I'm sorry. I must have this".

"Listen girly. We don't have all day. That book was stolen from my master three years ago, so it's rightfully ours. Now hand it over", Raphael hissed, knowing full well that Shere Khan was sleeping in the next room.

The stranger seemed to take offense to that, as she quickly did a low sweep causing Raphael to fall over. The others quickly drew their weapons, although they felt uncomfortable fighting against a female. Leonardo swiftly kicked the book out of the figure's hands. Michelangelo quickly grabbed it while Leonardo kept the stranger's attention with a series of sword movements.

It was about this time when Shere Khan's son, Sebastian, noticed the unconscious guard… and the mysterious cloaked figures fighting in the room up ahead. "SHERE KHAN!"

It was time to leave. With the book safely in Michelangelo's hands, it was definitely time to go. The boys began to run up the corridor, towards Sebastian.

"SHERE KH-!"

The boys literally ran over Sebastian and around the corner into the next hallway. The stranger still stood in the room, unsure of what to do next. The mutant lions and tigers were waking up in their rooms, some looking into the corridor only to see four black blurbs whiz by. By the time the cloaked figure had come to her senses, it was already too late. She was surrounded.

The cubs ran into the room, through which they came, and slammed the double doors behind them.

"RAPH! Quickly! Shove your forky thingies into the door handles so they can't get in!" Michelangelo hurriedly ordered.

"No way dude! … I'll lose a sai…"

This was no time to be petty. Donatello shoved Raphael away and slid his bo across the handles, acting like a bar if the enemy tried to get in. It would buy them some time. The cheetahs rushed over to the balcony, Michelangelo looking like he was ready to jump. Raphael held him down.

"What are you thinking? Don't tell me you were about to jump off a second-storey balcony!" Raphael protested.

"Cats always land on their feet!" Michelangelo argued. Raphael thought about this.

"… Does that apply to cheetahs?" Raphael asked to no one in particular. The bo across the door wasn't going to hold much longer. Michelangelo shrugged.

"Guess we'll find out!" With that, Michelangelo jumped off, book in hand. His younger brothers looked over the balcony.

"Ok, it's official. Our leader is a nutcase", Raphael announced. The door to the room burst open, snapping Donatello's bo in half. They took a deep breath before jumping off the balcony. Michelangelo was right; cats do land on their feet. 

"HURRY!" Michelangelo managed to yell. The hyenas that weren't there before were definitely there now. The cubs sprinted over the yard, hyenas chasing. It was hard for Michelangelo to keep up, as he had to run on two legs because he was holding the book. When they reached the wall, Raphael scrambled up to the top and helped by pulling his brothers over. Michelangelo only made it within seconds before he would have been hyena chow. Exhaustedly, they drop down on the other side of the perimeter wall, panting heavily.

"YOU… AND YOUR … BLOODY… SAIS!" Donatello yelled in between breaths.

"What?" Raphael said smugly. "…I like my sais". The cubs groaned as they started to head for home, prize in hand. Mission accomplished… just.


	9. The 'Book of Mutants'

Chapter 9: The 'Book of Mutants'.

The cubs finally arrived home in the middle of the night; Saringai was outside waiting anxiously for them. None of them were too tired to be proud of what they had just achieved. Saringai gratefully accepted the book from Michelangelo. It was a happy moment for all. Saringai looked over and admired his ninjas, before furrowing his eyebrows at Donatello.

"What happened to your bo, Donatello?" Saringai questioned.

"It was snapped in half", he replied sadly, before glaring at Raphael who was busy admiring his sais. 

"Here, you can have mine. I'll make myself another one tomorrow", the leopard immediately offered, giving his bo to Donatello. The cheetah blushed with honour.

Michelangelo looked at the book that was now rightfully in his master's hands. The book was quite large, thick and heavy (he would know, as he had to lug it all the way back home). The book's cover was brown, old and faded; it's tattered edges made it look fragile to touch. "So what makes this book so important anyway?" Michelangelo asked the question that was on all of the cub's minds. Naturally they wanted to know, as they just risked their lives trying to recover this object. Saringai sighed. He knew that the already long night had just became even longer.

"The 'Book of Mutants' contains the records of all the State Mutants that have ever existed in our history".

"Who and what are the State Mutants?" Leonardo asked, determined for answers.

"That's what you are… the State Mutants of Lesotho".

"State Mutants of Lesotho? But Lesotho doesn't have any states!"

"Well, we couldn't call them Country Mutants otherwise that would mean only five mutants would be protecting extremely large areas such as Russia".

"Master, I don't understand".

"Well then please let me explain before you ask any more questions. Many many years ago, there were five dragons living in the island of Honshu, Japan. Their names were Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo; they were, what we call now, the First State Mutants. Now…"

"Who was the fifth?" Michelangelo interrupted.

"…Uh… the fifth was a female dragon".

"No, I mean, what was her name?"

"Uh… um… I forget". Saringai lied. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…" Saringai glanced at Michelangelo. "…These dragons were the first ever State Mutants. Their job was to protect the innocents of Honshu from the evil humanoid type dragons whom had plans to take over the world. Therefore, the humanoid dragons were the enemies of the regular dragons, the State Mutants. Today, the State Enemy is the term we use to call the enemy of the State Mutants. For example, you, my students are the State Mutants while Shere Khan is your State Enemy. Understand so far?" Saringai questioned. The cubs slowly nodded, yet looking as though the whole thing had just went straight over their heads.

"What happened to the dragon State Mutants? Did they defeat their State Enemy, the evil dragons?" Donatello asked. He seemed to be the only one who understood what the leopard was saying.

"Yes, they did actually. The female dragon was an extremely powerful Shinobi Shaman, meaning that she could use magic and control and alter chi energy, and with this power, she managed to entrap the evil dragons into a glass prison. Unfortunately, when one enemy goes, another one fills its place. Soon evil, in its many forms, began to spread further around the world. The First State Mutants couldn't defeat the many enemies they now had, so they decided to get some help. So the female dragon cast a very complex spell, a spell that made 'duplicates' of the dragons themselves. Now, in every state across the world, there are five mutants with the names of Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello". 

"Hold on a minute… if we are 'duplicates' of the dragons, then how come we're cheetahs and not some fire-breathing mythical creatures?" Although it was late, Donatello's brain was still as sharp as ever.

"What I mean by 'duplicates' is that you have the same names, same weapons and the same type of personalities as that of the dragons. The only thing that is really different, is the species".

"Why is that?"

Well… let's think about it. The dragons are extraordinarily good at Ninjitsu and on top of that, they can breathe fire. But what would happen if they came across an enemy who could withstand the dragon's fiery breath? You see, every animal has its advantages and disadvantages. You, for instance, have a very low defense but you make up for it with your speed. What's the point of having defense when you simply can't be hit? But what if you were targeting an animal that is slow and has an extremely high defense like uh… I don't know… a turtle perhaps? What I'm trying to say is that having different species of State Mutants allows for diversity; so that if one team fails, then the mutant ninjas in the next state over might have what it takes to defeat the enemy".

"Has that ever happened? Has a State Enemy ever defeated the State Mutants?" Donatello asked another question. Saringai began to wonder if the cub was ever going to call it a night. He looked at his other students. Michelangelo was yawning constantly, struggling to keep his eyes from closing. Both Raphael and Leonardo had blank expressions on their faces. Saringai wondered if they were sleeping with their eyes still open. He sighed exhaustedly. 

"Uh… yeah. There's one famous story where a State Enemy, he was a Kodiak bear I think, managed to defeat seven groups of State Mutants, slowly conquering one state at a time. It wasn't until the First State Mutants, the dragons, finally found out and helped, did they eventually vanquish him".

"So what happens when the State Mutants die? Is the area they protect left unguarded?" Donatello questioned. Saringai groaned. He wanted to go to bed.

"Um… this where it gets a bit more complicated. I did say that it was a complex spell that she cast. When three or more of the State Mutants die, then a new generation is born… like its destiny or something. So lets say that Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo have died and that you, Donatello are the only one remaining…" Donatello's brothers whimper in unison. "…then within the next year, four boys with the names of yourselves will be born. They don't have to be cheetahs, they could be anything from an insect to an amphibian, but usually it's an animal that lives around that area. The only other way that the next generation of State Mutants can be born is if the current State Mutants have children of their own. That sometimes doesn't work though. So if Michelangelo has children, then they might become the next State Mutants. Get it?"

"Oh, ok. But let's say that my brothers died. What would become of me, since I don't have to fight the State Enemy, Shere Khan anymore because the next generation of State Mutants will handle it?" Donatello queried. 

"Rumour has it that the remaining members become the Masters of the next generation of State Mutants. But the Master of the State Mutants could really be anyone though", Saringai answered uncertainly, fearing where the conversation could lead.

"OH! So… so you used to be a State Mutant?" Donatello asked excitedly.

"No", Saringai lied again. He hated to lie to his students, but he really didn't feel like going into his past at three a.m. in the morning. It was the second time that night that he had lied. He had first lied about the female dragon's name, which was Venus. 'The Venus' always joined the group late. It was a known fact and it was stated in the 'Book of Mutants'. There were many theories as to why this was. Some say that it was so the boys could bond, others said that the female would cause too much of a distraction, and the males would never learn Ninjitsu to their full potential. Whatever the reason, 'The Venus' was the most valued asset to the State Mutants because of their Shinobi powers. It is only after 'The Venus' has joined, can the State Mutants finally defeat their State Enemy… and Shere Khan knows this. If Saringai told his students about the fifth member of their group, then the boys would go out on purposely and search for her. Shere Khan has read the 'Book of Mutants', and if he finds out that the boys are searching for Venus, then he would look too… and destroy her. That is what Saringai feared the most. He had decided ages ago not to tell the boys about her, and hoped that destiny would naturally take its course. 

"What has all this got to do with that book we nicked from that tiger dude?" Michelangelo asked impatiently, bringing the conversation back to its starting point.

"Well, with all the different State Mutants around, the First State Mutants thought that it was important to keep a record of everyone in the case of an emergency, like that evil Kodiak bear. So the 'Book of Mutants' was created for that purpose. Every four years, a group of State Mutants will travel around the world recording information about every other State Mutant. Information includes the type of species of both State Mutant and Master, their current enemy if any, the type of transport they use, who's the leader of the group and roughly where the State Mutants live. It's a giant task but very rewarding. You'll get to meet the First State Mutants, go to all of the famous cities and get to spy on some of the more powerful State Mutants like the ones that live in Mexico City, Hong Kong and New York City".

"Spy?"

"Well yes… the thing is, you can't let the other State Mutants know about you".

"Why?"

"In the beginning, the First State Mutants told the others about their origins and how they were all part of one big society or organisation. It was alright at first, but soon the other State Mutants lost self worth. Telling them made them feel as though they weren't unique anymore. Their whole existence revolved around a Shinobi spell. Soon every State Mutant didn't care about saving innocents. That was ages ago, everyone by now has forgotten the true reason why they exist. As they say, 'ignorance is bliss'. Which is why we now have to spy. The only reason I'm telling you all of this, is because this time it is Lesotho's State Mutants turn to travel around the globe to record all the State Mutants in existence. You'll be doing that next year. First of all you go to Honshu, Japan to speak with the dragons. When you are there, the dragons will tell you what state to go to last. You give the 'Book of Mutants' over to the State Mutants of the last state you visit, so then in the next four years, they will have to travel around the world. This helps to share the responsibility around so it doesn't become one group's job. Also, because everyone has to meet the dragons; the dragons can control who they want to meet next".

"Is that why English is the international language for Intelligent Mutations? So that whoever we give the book to, we should be able understand each other?" Leonardo finally spoke up. Saringai simply nodded.

"How did Shere Khan get hold of this book? Why was it so important for us to get back?" Leonardo asked another question. 

"Three years ago, the State Mutants of Natal, South Africa, gave this book to us. They were mutant red duikers to be exact. That was around the time when the habitants of Ikahaya Labantu, lead by Zareb's father, launched a full assault on Shere Khan and his followers. Unfortunately, when they captured Zareb's father… and later… beheaded him, they also gained access to the 'Book of Mutants'. To answer your second question Leonardo, the 'Book of Mutants' contains other miscellaneous information like the history, personality traits, what each member is like when they are the leader and stuff like that. It was dangerous for Shere Khan to have it, knowing what each group is like around the world, and who each State Enemy is. He was the first State Enemy in mutant history to read the book. There's no telling what he could do, knowing all that information". Saringai finished. There was a brief pause before another question was put forward, once again by Donatello.

"So apart from our species, are we exactly the same as all the other State Mutants out there?"

"No. In some groups Leonardo could be the leader, while in others it could be Raphael. Your personalities aren't exactly the same, as your individual experiences change the person that you become. Your fighting styles and level of skill will be different to other groups. And there always seems to be two members of the group who fight a lot, usually it's with the leader. That will also be different, so will be the closeness of the group. State Mutants who are related to each other are more close and more in tune as a group, compared to State Mutants who aren't related", Saringai tried his best to explain. There was quite a long silence after.

"So we call the Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo's the State Mutants, and the State Enemy is the enemy of the State Mutants. Correct? Donatello questioned.

"Correct", Sraingai reassured.

"So what do we call other mutants, like the locals of Ikhaya Labantu who are neither State Mutants or State Enemies?"

"Extras", Saringai answered simply. The leopard could see Donatello thinking of another question. He groaned inwardly. Donatello opened his mouth but Saringai cut him off. "Ok, it's time to bed!" The adult announced enthusiastically. Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo tiredly cheered before trudging off to bed. Donatello groaned as he wanted to learn so much more but reluctantly followed suit. Saringai smiled. The leopard climbed up to his favourite branch before allowing the comfort of sleep to take over.

Author's Note: Ok, hope I didn't confuse you all too much. The word 'state' probably appeared 100 times in that chapter! Unfortunately, this is one of those chapters where if you don't understand it, then you're going to have a lot of trouble with the rest of the fanfic. This chapter is basically the whole backbone to the story. I've tried my best to make it as simple as possible. If you got confused, then all you really need to know is that in every state across the world, there is a Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo and a Venus. I was going to add on what happened to Venus, but I thought that this chapter was long enough as it is. 

This coming Thursday, I'll be leaving to go to America as part of an exchange student program. I won't be back till the 22nd of January. Therefore, this fanfic won't be updated for a while (I might be able to squeeze one more chapter in before I leave). If you get bored, then read some of the previous chapters, as you will now probably be able to guess Saringai's past and find out other bits of info as well. Thanks to all the people who have reviewed (Raphielle) as I really appreciate it. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all the best of luck in the New Year.

P.S. If you live in the Seattle area and see an Aussie chick freezing her butt off (because she doesn't own any warm clothes!!!), then come over and say 'hi' to me.


	10. The Bet

Warning: I thought that I should point out that the rating has now changed from PG to PG-13. Soon the rating will change to R, but not until later. This allows me a bit more flexibility in what I can and can't write.

Chapter 10: The Bet.

Venus nervously looked around, awaiting her fate. She didn't escape from last night's raid. She had just stood there; too stunned to do anything let alone flee. Venus felt stupid. She knew that others were going to look for that book that night; she should have been more prepared for them. The mutant tigers and lions had surrounded her easily, taking her hostage. Shere Khan, the head tiger she had learned, was too tired and decided to deal with her in the morning. Overnight Venus stayed in a holding room guarded by at least six other mutants.

Venus' fear had soon come, as the morning sun crept across the land. Shere Khan's eyes bore into her skin as he stared at her. Just about everyone in Shere Khan's army was in the room with her, looking at her with disgust. 

"What were you doing last night?" Shere Khan's boomed, breaking the awkward silence. Venus gulped nervously.

"I… I was looking through this book. I have forgotten my past and I wanted to know if there was anything in there that would help remind of something", Venus said truthfully, at first scared, but then quickly built up confidence.

"Did you find anything?" the tiger asked sternly.

"No, I didn't. The four other people took it off me before I could find anything useful".

Shere Khan sat down in his chair, thinking to himself carefully. "Do you know of any other mutant cheetahs?" 

"Well… no I don't know anyone. I've lost my memory as I've said".

__

'She hasn't joined the boys yet AND she has lost her memory! …Could be some use to me… Then again, she has a lot of spunk and that could prove dangerous', Shere Khan pondered. "Do you know that the penalty for espionage around here is death?"

"No… I didn't know that…" Venus said, unsure of where this was leading.

"Well… now you know. Guards… take her away. Let the hyenas deal with her. They get hungry this time of day", Shere Khan ordered coldly. Two tigers grabbed Venus's arms and started to drag her away. Her heart raced and panic settled in as she struggled for her freedom. She didn't want to die as she realised that she had only truly lived for one day; life is nothing if you don't remember it. The guards lost their grip on her skinny arms for a split second, where she used that time to run up to the large Siberian tiger. She desperately knelt in front of him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Please… Please reconsider! I'll do anything you want", Venus begged, a single tear had slid down her face. The two guards grabbed her again but Shere Khan called them off. He looked at her. There was so much pain in her soul; Shere Khan couldn't find the guts to kill the innocent female cub begging for her existence in front of him. He began to pity the child. 

"I'll have to think about it", he said softly. Without saying another word, he stood up and left the room. Vasha, disgusted, followed him.

"What the fuck was that?" Vasha asked angrily, once the doors behind them were securely closed. Shere Khan turned around to look at her in face. Vasha was a tigress the same age as him, nine years old. For a while now, Vasha had worked right beside Shere Khan, helping him carry out and formulate their evil plans. Everyone thought that they would be great as a couple, but they're weren't. They both viewed each other as competition, fighting over which one of them is better. It was always difficult to say which one of them was the more evil, but Shere Khan always got more attention, and, in a way, more respect. Vasha despised this. She knew that she was better, that she deserved to command the troops, and would stop at nothing to screw up one of Shere Khan's plans, as long as it doesn't affect her in the long run. Vasha hated it when things didn't go her way. 

"I…I couldn't do it… I'm sorry".

"Yeah, that's what your gonna be… sorry when she kills you! Don't tell me you're getting soft Shere Khan. If you won't kill her off, then I will!" Vasha turned towards the door determined to set things straight. Shere Khan knew he had to stop her. He didn't really know why he was trying to save the cub. It didn't make any sense. She was his soon-to-be enemy. Yet he wanted to spare her life, and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"But you can't!"

"Oh God! Why not?" Vasha was starting to get fed up with this game. Shere Khan tried his best to put some logic behind his reason. 

"Because I am the first State Enemy in mutant history to capture 'The Venus' before she has joined the group. Don't you know what that means?"

"That we should kill her and be done with it!"

"No!" Shere Khan said hurridly. Just then an elaborate plan fluttered into his head. "…Do you remember three years ago, when Zareb's father made an army out of the locals of Ikhaya Labantu?"

"Yeah, so?"

"If we kill Venus, then the extras will hear about this and will fear and hate us even more".

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes, it's a bad thing! Three years ago, the extras were completely terrified of us. They listened to anyone who had the guts to stand up to me. One antelope doesn't hurt, but a whole herd of them does. Saringai could very easily lead them and turn them against me… just like Zareb's father did. They're looking for help Vasha".

"So? What are we supposed to do about it?" Vasha asked agitated. 

"We could get them to like us. So then hopefully, they won't want to fight against us if Saringai and his brother, Raifu, try to form an alliance with them".

"So now you're saying that we've got to be NICE to those vegetarian _freaks_!" Vasha said, not believing a word that she was hearing. Shere Khan nodded in response to her question.

"And we can start being nice by not killing Venus. They know about the 'Book of Mutants', Vasha. The extras know how important Venus is. If we don't kill her, then the locals will like us better… and soon they'll be on our side… just like Venus will be on our side. We could use them, and turn them all against Saringai and his pathetic little ninjas. Think about it".

"I think you've completely lost it! You plan to be nice to both Venus AND the locals, so that you gain their trust and turn them against Saringai and the boys… God you're a wuss! Just kill her and it'll be over with! Besides, now that Saringai has the 'Book of Mutants' both he and the boys will be looking for Venus!"

"No he won't. I know Saringai well enough to know that he won't tell the boys about Venus; 'cause he fears that I'll find out and kill her".

"Which we're not doing now! You're going crazy you know… I should have been the leader… not some pitiful tiger like you."

"Vasha, we know how beneficial Venus is to the State Mutants, just imagine how beneficial she'll be for us".

"You know you won't be able to pull this off Shere Khan".

"Care to make a wager on that?" Shere Khan asked. Vasha stopped to think about his proposal. 

"Alright. If you lose, meaning that you can't get Venus to trust you, then I get to kill her".

"Fine. If I can get Venus to betray the boys, then I win the bet. And if I win the bet then I want…"

"Name it."

"Rachel."

"RACHEL! But Rachel's my best servant!" Vasha sneered. Rachel was one year older than the cheetahs. She was a lovely mutant black-backed jackal that had won the hearts of all the males… and the jealousy of the all the females. Even Shere Khan was fond of her. There was just that something about her that made guys think twice. She was smart, kind and considerate, and always did her chores to the best of her ability. In a way, Vasha was jealous of her because she had managed to get Shere Khan to like her, something that Vasha wasn't capable of doing herself. Although Vasha disliked Rachel because of her male attracting powers, she valued her highly as a valuable servant. 

"Oh come on! Where's your gambling spirit? If you win, you get Venus' life, and if I win, I get Rachel. Seems fair to me." Shere Khan persuaded. 

"_Ok…fine!"_ Vasha said between her teeth. She turned to leave, heading back to where Venus was waiting.

"Nice doing business with you. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" Shere Khan said mockingly. Vasha snarled back, before slamming the door behind her. 


	11. Playing With Destiny

Chapter 11: Playing With Destiny.

Sebastian looked over his bedroom balcony to stare at the people below. He peacefully watched some of his friends train the guard hyenas. It was at that moment Sebastian spotted Rachel harvesting some of the crops used for trading with the locals. There was something about her that captivated him. He couldn't take his eyes off her; to him she was breathtaking. His mind was so focused on Rachel that he didn't notice his father behind him. 

"She's something isn't she?" Shere Khan finally spoke. Sebastian jumped out of his skin at the unanticipated interruption.

"Um… er… who?" Sebastian stuttered, caught off guard. Shere Khan just smiled. "So… dad, um… why have I deserved this honour of your presence?"

"I have a mission for you."

"Yippee", Sebastian said sarcastically. "What is it this time? Clean the toilets without passing out from the stench?"

"I want you to make Venus fall in love with you."

"What? Why me?"

"Cause you're good at it. Don't act like I haven't heard about your love life. You're good with females… God knows why. I've heard exactly how many girlfriends you've had."

"Did you just compliment me?" Sebastian said in a cynical tone. Shere Khan didn't answer. "This has something to do with Vasha doesn't it?" Sebastian asked. Shere Khan grunted in reply. He had forgotten how well his son knew him. "Dad, why can't you and Vasha get along? Sometimes I wonder who you hate more; the State Mutants or Vasha".

"You know that Vasha and I go a long way back. I can't agree with her, yet I can't get rid of her either. We've been through too much to do that."

"So how does Venus come into all of this?"

"Vasha and I settled a bet this morning. If I can get Venus to trust us, and turn her against the State Mutants, then I win the bet. If I win the bet, not only do I have Venus on our side, but I also gain control over Vasha's servant Rachel, which I'm sure that you won't object to, Sebastian."

"And if you can't get Venus to trust us?" Sebastian asked.

"Then Vasha gets to personally kill Venus." Shere Khan answered. Sebastian sighed.

"I don't like what you're planning to do", the younger tiger commented. 

"Why?"

"Because you're playing with destiny! Don't you see? It's Venus' destiny to join the boys. You won't win; neither of you will win. Just kill Venus now and let it be over with," Sebastian protested. He feared what could happen in the future, that destiny would alter, would change into something so unpredictable that no one will know what will happen next; not even the 'Book of Mutants'.

"Destiny can be changed so that it will be in our favour, my son. Venus will be my greatest victory."

"Why does she have to fall in love with me? Why love? Why can't we just be friends or something?"

"What can give more trust than love? It's simple really. If she falls in love with you, then she'll want to stay. She'll believe anything you tell her. Anything _we _tell her. Love is blind Sebastian. Love is very, very blind."

*****

"… This is the main staircase… and when we walk up here and along this corridor, we'll be in what we nicknamed the 'East Wing'". Sebastian commented. Venus obviously had trouble finding her way around Shere Khan's fortress/mansion. Naturally, Sebastian was more than happy to act like a tour guide and show her around the place. Venus admired some of the ornate gas lamps hanging above as she walked down the corridor. The two of them then turned into the next hallway, the one she was in last night when she had been captured. She shuddered when she saw the room where the book had once lay. They walked to a door, two rooms up from Shere Khan's sleeping quarters. 

"This is where you're going stay", Sebastian said, opening the door to the room. They stepped inside. There was a rather large elaborate bed on the right side of the room, and a dressing table accompanied by a chair on the left. Straight ahead was some curtains, dividing the room from the balcony. "You're more than welcome to look around. It is, after all, your room now," Sebastian said smiling, trying his best to make her feel welcome. She nodded a 'Thank you' before smiling back. Venus walked over to the curtains, pulled them open, and stepped outside to absorb her balcony's view. The mansion's swimming pool was right below, rippling serenely with the gentle breeze. Large, strong vines stretched up the wall and curled over the balcony's railings. Venus could see for miles. The mountainous peaks common to the nation of Lesotho filled the landscape; she could even see the snow on some of the mountain summits. 

"Do you like it?" Sebastian asked, now standing beside her.

"It's beautiful…" she whispered.

"I've seen prettier things than this," Sebastian whispered back, looking at her. She noticed his gaze and turned to face him. She was confused by his comment; she wasn't sure what he had meant by that, whether he was talking about her, or about the scenery. An awkward silence endured. Sebastian finally spoke. "Sorry that your room hasn't been cleaned and that your bed hasn't been made yet. Someone should be along to do it…uh…"

The door to the room opened and Rachel walked in carrying the bed sheets. Sebastian's heart was so overwhelmed that he'd forgotten what he was going to say to Venus. He managed to squeak out a 'hi', which resulted in a quick yet polite 'hi' from Rachel, too busy making the bed to do much else. He completely forgot about Venus, and watched Rachel with feelings of love for her. Venus all too easily noticed the way Sebastian was looking at the mutant black-backed jackal. Sebastian suddenly remembered his mission and mentally shook himself back to reality. 

"So… um… Ve… Veh…"

"Venus?" Venus suggested.

"Yeah, Venus. How could I forget such a nice name? Though I'd hate to leave you, I must go for I have some little things to do for my father. If you need me for anything what so ever, then I'll be in my room, just down the hall," Sebastian recovered, trying to sound charming. Venus saw right through it.

"I'm sure I'll be fine", Venus replied, hinting that she won't visit Sebastian at all.

"Ok then. I best be going," he announced. _'What happened just then?' _the tiger wondered as he exited. 

"I'd watch out for that one. I know for a fact that every girl he's dated, has lived to regret it," the jackal said, fluffing the pillow. Venus smiled in response. The jackal looked up from her work and smiled back. She extended her paw, which Venus shook. "The name's Rachel," the jackal introduced.

"Venus."

"Ah! So you're the one who caused all the commotion last night. Heard quite a bit about you. It's like you're famous or something," Rachel commented while smiling. Venus gave a nervous giggle. "So, you from around here?" Rachel questioned. 

"I don't know. I've lost all my memory. I can only remember from yesterday's events," Venus said softly, head looking down at the floor.

"That's a shame. I'm sure it'll come back eventually, once you see someone or something familiar to you".

"Yeah… you're probably right," Venus sighed. Her expression changed as she tried to lighten up a little. "So… what's it really like to work here?"

"Are you now one of Shere Khan's servants?" Rachel asked. Venus nodded. She felt slightly ashamed that she was servant, but she extremely glad that she still had her life. Rachel seemed to be quite open and honest, hopefully someone Venus could finally trust. Venus had already started to plan her escape. She was hoping that Rachel could be the one to help her out, give her some pointers if possible. 

"Working here's alright I suppose. If you're kind to everybody; or at least act like you're kind, then you go far. But if you don't obey, or try to escape… then you face the consequences."

"What are the consequences?" Venus asked uncertainly. Rachel looked around before leaning in closer to speak to Venus.

"I shouldn't really be telling you because you're new around here, but there are a few horror stories about what happens to servants that escape. I heard that one female servant escaped once. She made it over the boundaries walls, but she was soon recaptured in Ikhaya Labantu. When she arrived back at Shere Khan's fortress, she was raped, then tied to a pole in the middle of the courtyard in Ikhaya Labantu for three days straight; a reminder of what happens when people disobey the mighty Shere Khan." 

"Oh my god… what happened to her? Does she still work here?" Venus didn't really want to hear anymore, but something inside wanted to listen, hoping that the story had a happy ending. 

"The story goes that after the incident, she couldn't live with herself anymore. She tried to escape again but died in the process. She lost her grip and fell to the ground while climbing down some vines. She was knocked unconscious, and left to the mercy of the hyenas that were patrolling that night." Rachel said with a tone of despair. Venus gulped in worry. There was a sad pause as Rachel reflected on what she had just told Venus. "The moral of the story is… don't escape. I'm not going to tell anyone if you plan to, just if you plan to escape, then plan to leave the country as well because they'll find you. It may be a while, but they will find you Venus". 

There was a slightly longer pause this time. "Have you ever tried to escape from Shere Khan, Rachel?"

"I've been here long enough to learn that escaping is pointless if it isn't timed or thought out correctly. Lately I've been reading through some of Vasha's shinobi books, hoping to find some sort of spell or at least some spiritual refuge."

"Shinobi books? What's shinobi?"

"A shinobi is someone who can use magic and control and alter chi energy, something like that. If you get good at it, then you're able to do some pretty cool stuff".

"Can I have a look at those books?" Venus asked with slight enthusiasm.

"Yeah, sure! You're welcome to read them. It's pretty interesting. I can bring one or two over here, or you could visit my room. My room is situated in the 'West Wing'. Know where that is?" Rachel invited warmly. She had taken a liking to this girl, maybe it was because she was an innocent, not a mutant with evil ambitions behind every thought like seemingly everyone else in the place.

"Yeah. Sebastian showed me earlier."

"Oh, ok then. I'll show you where my room is exactly after I finish doing my chores."

"Thanks", Venus said with a slight smile. Rachel returned the smile back. 

Author's note: Well obviously I'm back in Australia after having an amazing time traveling around in the USA. I had two goals… get TMNT merchandise, as you can't buy any in Oz! (Australia) and to survive… an American high school! I managed to complete both goals (but I couldn't find a Donatello figurine!) We spent 5 days in LA (including Tijuana, Mexico) and did all the theme parks, like Disneyland, Knotts Berry and Universal Studios. 2 days were in San Francisco and the last 10 days I was staying with my host family (who used to be TMNT fans!) in Seattle (3 days were spent flying!). If any of you ever get the opportunity through school to go on one of these exchange student programs then I highly recommend it. It is loads of fun… but don't with your best friend as some people on the trip got tired of them. It is a once in a lifetime experience as you do things that normal tourists wouldn't do. You gain a better appreciation of the country you're staying in, as well as your own country. I found the trip very rewarding and was well worth the cost. 

P.S. If you're an Aussie and want to know the conversion, then here it is. (American = Australian) Jello = Jelly. Jelly = Unseeded jam. Jam = Seeded jam. Got it?


	12. Leo's Little Accident

Chapter 12: Leo's Little Accident.

Saringai sighed as he lay comfortably on his favourite branch; eyes shut preparing to drift off into sleep. His ears twitched to an all too familiar sound. "Where are you going Raphael?" Saringai said wearily, eyes still closed.

"How did you know it was me?!?"

Saringai turned to look at his student. "Well, first of all, it's only going to be either you or Michelangelo, as Leo and Donatello are _good _little cheetahs and stay in their beds. And Michelangelo is usually eating something, so you can hear chewing sounds. Well, I didn't hear chewing sounds this time, so through the process of elimination, that means it could only be you!" Saringai said. Raphael looked very freaked out about all this. "Why are you up anyway?" the leopard asked, voice stern.

Raphael burst out laughing as though he suddenly remembered a funny joke. Saringai's eyebrows furrowed. "What's so funny?"

"Leonardo wet the bed!" Raphael blurted out through all the giggles, before bolting off to Michelangelo and Donatello's bedroom to tell them the incident. Saringai frowned. He tiredly got off his branch and made his way to Raphael and Leo's room. 

He found Leonardo wide awake, huddled up in a ball at the top part of the bed. "I didn't pee…" Leo softly said. The cheetah looked up to his master, then looked back down to the wet patch. "I… I was asleep dreaming… dreaming about… things… and then…" Leo tried to explain. Saringai knew what had happened. Leonardo had reached puberty. 

Saringai tried his best to explain to Leonardo what had happened, that he was growing up into an adult. The leopard was worried. Leo had reached puberty awfully early, he was only fourteen, nearly fifteen months old. Leo was over five months too soon. Saringai wondered if this was a personal thing, or if it had something to do with the mutation. If it was the mutation, then he could expect the others to go through the same thing very soon. All of a sudden Saringai felt exhausted. '_Teenagers!_' 

"But… why does 'it' do that?" Leo asked, a bit worried about what Saringai was telling him.

"Um…" Saringai cleared his throat. He hadn't prepared for _this_ talk. "It… uh… does that when you are… uh… … in love… yeah…"

"With a girl?"

"Of course with a girl, silly!"

"Eew! Yuck! Michelangelo says that girls have cooties!"

Saringai smiled. "Trust me, in a week, you'll be crazy about them!"

"…Master? Have you ever been… in love?"

Saringai didn't know which way Leonardo had meant that question. He answered the question truthfully anyway. "Yes… I have been in love…"

"What was her name?"

"Zaila…"

"Where is she now?"

"She was killed… Shere Khan sent out troops to kill her…" Saringai said, a lump started to form in his throat as painful memories flooded his mind.

"…I'm sorry…" Leonardo said, sorry that he had asked.

"That's alright… you didn't know".

"… How long ago did that happen? Ten years ago?"

"… … …Ten years ago!!! Leonardo, how old do you think I am?!?"

"I dunno… thirty…forty… fifty or so…"

"FIFTY!!!" The leopard looked as though he was about to have a heart attack.

"Why? Are you older?"

"WHAT!!! I'M ONLY SIX YEARS OLD!!!"

"Ohhh… so you're still in your prime then?"

"YES!!!"

"Oh, ok. Sorry," Leo said looking very sheepish. He changed the topic of conversation. "So… did you have any kids?"

"I did actually. I had a daughter."

"Really?… Where is she now?"

"I wish I knew…"

*****

Venus immersed herself with the Shinobi book she was reading. She found the book rather interesting, she was glad Rachel allowed her to read it. She stopped reading for a minute to stretch out her neck because it was starting to get a cramp. Venus had decided to read outside beside the pool. It was a lovely day and, according to the lions, the rainy season was coming, so Venus wanted to take in the sun while she still could. Summer in Lesotho was December through February; winter was June through August. The rains usually came in March to May and again in October. It was now nearing the end of March, which meant that the rains were unusually late.

Sebastian walked confidently over towards Venus. He'd spent the good part of an hour searching for her, hoping to leave a slightly better impression than he did when he left yesterday. Venus had returned to her reading, head down, not noticing the approaching tiger. He leaned over and slowly pulled the book out from her gaze. She looked up at him.

"'Yin and Yang'," Sebastian announced, reading out the title of the book. 

"I was reading that," Venus said sternly. 

"Hey, no need to be angry. I was just wondering what you're reading. That's all. Is that such a crime?" Sebastian questioned, looking straight into her eyes. Venus didn't answer. Sebastian sat down beside her. He sighed and looked upwards into the sky. "Rain should come soon. It gets quite nice here when it rains. If it rains enough, then sometimes you get a waterfall effect down the sandstone walls. I'll have to show you some time". Sebastian tried to sit closer to Venus; Venus slightly leaned away from him, feeling uncomfortable. She was starting to get annoyed. Venus could see right through Sebastian's charm. 

"Why are you doing this?" Venus asked abruptly.

"Huh? Doing what?"

"This! Why are you torturing yourself?"

"Torture? What?" Sebastian had no idea what the cheetah was going on about.

"I've heard what you do. You promise girls the world so that they can fall in love with you, then you break their heart. Apparently ever girl you've ever gone out with has lived to regret it! You're not gonna get me that easily. So why are you here?" Venus said, starting to get a bit rude.

"Oh! So now I need an excuse to talk to you, do I? Who told you all that? Was it Kathryn?"

"Kathryn?"

"Well, who was it then?"

"I'm not telling." Venus snatched the book off him and began to read it again, leaving Sebastian speechless. "I find it quite sad. You torture all these other girls, yet you're only torturing yourself."

"What do mean?" Sebastian was starting to get fed up with this.

"The one girl you're really in love with, is the one girl you can't get." Venus turned to look him in the face, a sly smile on her lips. Sebastian stood up and stormed off angrily. Venus was right. The only girl he ever liked was Rachel, and she was the one girl who completely ignores him. He was surprised how smart Venus was. Getting her to fall in love, let alone getting her to like him was going to be a difficult challenge; but a challenge he welcomed. She was like no other girl he'd ever met. There was this untamed nature about her; a tomboyish nature. He continued to walk through the garden and bumped into none other than Kathryn.

"Smooth move you made there", Kathryn commented. Sebastian gave a grunt. Kathryn was a tigress, a few months younger than he was. They grew up together and remained fairly close, but never any closer than friends. Kathryn wished they were more than that, but there was one factor from stopping her; she was Vasha's daughter, and Sebastian was Shere Khan's son. 

Kathryn looked over Sebastian's shoulder to see Venus reading quietly to herself. "What does she have that I haven't?" Sebastian didn't answer and looked away. "You don't really like her do you?" Kathryn questioned. She knew all there was to know about Sebastian. She didn't really like how he dated all these other girls… she only wished he spoke to her the same way he speaks to them. Kathryn always watched from the sidelines, how he'd charm the females until they were stricken with love. He did it so easily, yet his latest target didn't seem too impressed. 

"Her name is Venus," Sebastian answered Kathryn's unspoken question. "My father wants me to make her fall in love with me. It's to do with some bet that your mother and my dad has."

"Oh, I see. Thought this was your own quest."

"Nah, would have probably given up on her by now. She's a bit of a bitch."

"Venus… is she who I think she is?" Kathryn wondered out loud. Sebastian nodded.

"I don't like the fact that she's reading Shinobi books already. It's a bit of a worry. Don't want her to get too powerful…"

"No… me neither."

*****

There was a knock on Vasha's door. "Come in!" the tigress called out. Kathryn opened the door and entered her mother's bedroom. Vasha stared at her daughter, awaiting the reason for her intrusion. 

"What's this bet you have with Shere Khan?" Kathryn asked confidently.

"Bet? Oh the bet! Yes, if Shere Khan can get Venus to trust us and turn against the boys, then he wins the bet. If he loses the bet, then I get to kill Venus. If Shere Khan wins the bet, then he gets to own Rachel. I know… I'm getting ripped off. I can't let him win this one. Why do you ask? Who have you been talking to? Shere Khan?"

"Sebastian."

"Sebastian? What's he got to do with this?"

"He told me that he's been ordered by his father to make Venus fall in love with him." Kathryn reported. Vasha was always hard to impress and Kathryn tried really hard to please her. Giving information was one of the easier ways, even if it meant breaking Sebastian's trust.

Vasha thought about this. "… I see what he's doing. He wants Venus to fall in love because that means that she'll stay. Won't work though."

"Why wouldn't it?" Kathryn asked curiously.

"Because Sebastian's crap!"

"No he's not!" Kathryn protested without thinking.

"… Did you just defend him?" Vasha asked slightly disgusted. 

"No!" Kathryn said, hoping to cover up what she said.

"Yes you did! Don't tell me you _like_ Sebastian!"

"No!" Kathryn said quickly. It was the truth though. She didn't like Sebastian… she loved him.

"Good. Let's keep it that way shall we."

"S… So what are you going to do about all this? You know, with Shere Khan's plan to make Venus fall in love?"

"Nothing. He'll fail don't worry. So, I'm just going to sit back and do absolutely nothing!" Vasha said over confidently. She gave an evil smile to her daughter.


	13. When 'No' Means 'Yes'

Chapter 13: When 'No' Means 'Yes'.

__

One week later…

The time had finally come. Although Saringai didn't mind sleeping on one of the branches in the dining room, he longed for a decent night's sleep without any interruptions from Raphael and Michelangelo trying to visit each other. He didn't want to put the two boys together, 'cause that would only mean one thing… chaos. Thankfully there was a fourth tree nearby, slowly growing in between Leo/Raph's and Don/Michael's tree. The tree was a sapling and was only now strong and leafy enough to build on. 

Placing down the floorboards was the easiest part, and Saringai didn't require the boys' help. The leopard had decided long ago not to install a staircase inside the trunk like the lower entrance to the dining tree, as he had found out before, it takes a fair while to make. Instead, he wanted to attach two bridges to the new tree so that one bridge lead to Leo and Raph's, and the other lead to Michael and Don's. So in order for him to reach the dining room, he would have to walk through one of the boy's trees. Because this new tree was closer, it meant that he could hear more of the conversations held by his students. Therefore there was a greater chance of disciplining the boys when they did something wrong. The leopard grinned evilly to himself at this thought. 

"So what do you want us to work on?" Leonardo asked his mentor, voice breaking. His brothers sniggered behind him while trying to imitate Leonardo's voice. The teenager groaned. Over the past week, Leonardo had become the butt of Michelangelo's jokes. Even though Leonardo was now slightly taller than his brothers, they still continued to pick on him, constantly reminding him that he was still the youngest of the four. Saringai felt sorry for the kid. Leonardo was no more prepared for this than he was himself. What amazed Saringai though, was the speed in which Leonardo was developing. It was faster than he would ever have anticipated. It had to be the effects of the mutation; there was no other conclusion. It was like puberty was some sort of illness that Leonardo had caught; where all the symptoms came at once, only to be conquered after only a week. 

Frequently throughout the week, Leonardo visited Saringai hoping for some advice, some reassurance. The leopard repeatedly told the boy that it was a gradual thing that everyone goes through. But it wasn't. It was rapid, coming like a bombardment, and what was worse was the fact that he was facing it alone. Leonardo was scared; he was scared of his own body, scared of the mutation… and no one could help him.

Leonardo turned to face his giggling brothers, then turned back to Saringai. "Master, make them stop!" His voice broke again.

"Master, make them stop!" Michelangelo said, imitating his youngest brother. They all laughed except for Saringai, and of course, Leonardo. The cheetah couldn't handle much more of this.

"Leonardo, you have my permission to give Michelangelo an ass whooping next time he makes a comment like that," Saringai said. He too was getting tired of this. Michelangelo gulped. If there was one thing Leonardo was good at, then it was beating Michelangelo at a fight. Leonardo's brothers went quiet after that. Saringai looked at the wooden planks and ropes on the ground.

"Alright. I want Raphael and you, Leonardo, to help me with building the bridges. Donatello and Michelangelo, you can help by weaving together some leaves to make some camouflaged curtains so that I can use them as the doors. You remember what I taught you, right?" Saringai asked. The twins nodded in response. The group split up and started doing their given tasks. Halfway through the job, Donatello piped up and asked a question.

"Master? Do you have any more electronic parts that I could possibly use for my laptop?"

"I do have some electronic parts, but none that I would use for a computer. Do you still need more parts to make it?"

"Yes," Donatello sighed.

"… There might be some electronic equipment that you could trade for at Ikhaya Labantu. I can take you there as soon as this is done," the leopard suggested.

"Really? That'd be great! Then I can finally finish my solar powered laptop!" Donatello called out excitedly.

"Solar powered eh? How environmentally friendly of you," Saringai commented. Donatello blushed. 

"Hey when are our mobile phones gonna be ready?" Michelangelo asked impatiently.

"Ah yes! I keep forgetting to give them to you. They are ready now. Just remind me if I forget again, ok?" The leopard said happily.

"Oh cool!"

*****

"Since I spared Venus' life, what do the locals think of me now?" Shere Khan asked Zareb at their weekly meeting.

"Well… they say that you've finally gotten a soul. Congratulations!" Zareb said with a cynical tone. He had no idea why Shere Khan had done that, but he was glad that Venus was alive nevertheless. 

"Good. So they're starting to like me then?"

"Like you? I thought your goal was for them to fear you?" Zareb asked with a confused expression on his face.

"Not any more. That was my old objective. So… do you have any suggestions of things to do that could make me more popular with the locals?"

"Um… a party or something?" Zareb suggested without really thinking. He didn't really believe what he was hearing. '_Shere Khan's nice? What's the world coming to?…Is he on drugs?_' 

"A party! What a great idea! Tell the people of Ikhaya Labantu that tomorrow evening there will be a party at my mansion. Wait! Make that a costume party; they're always more fun!"

Zareb looked weirdly at Shere Khan. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Why? Do I look ill?"

"…Sorta."

"Hmm, I better get myself checked then." The tiger stood up from the table and headed for the door. "Remember to tell the people about the party won't you?"

"Uh… yeah… sure." '_What's up with him? Why does Shere Khan want the locals to like him? I thought he wanted to be the ruler? So why didn't he kill Venus, one of his major threats,_' Zareb wondered with puzzlement. All of a sudden he wanted to have a word with Saringai.

*****

The cheetahs dodged around the bustling citizens of Ikhaya Labantu. "How come it's so crowded Saringai? It wasn't this busy the last time we came," Donatello voiced, clutching the bows and arrows, crafted by Saringai, that would be used for trading. Saringai agreed with him. 

"Hi Saringai!" Zareb called out, rushing over to him. "Boy am I glad to see you!"

"What's happening? Why is it so crowded?" Saringai asked the lion/leopard.

"Tomorrow night there's going to be a costume party at Shere Khan's fortress. So everyone is looking around for a outfit."

"A party? Who's organising this?"

"You won't believe me, but Shere Khan is."

"Shere Khan? Have a party? You've got to be kidding. Shere Khan's type of fun is planning evil… not having a party. That's just not him!" 

"I know what you mean. The guy's lost it! I spoke to him earlier today. He told me he wants the locals to like him, not hate him. I guess we shouldn't really be complaining… but still…"

"Something's not right. He's got some sort of plan… don't know what though," Saringai concluded. His eyes scanned across the crowds before landing on an impatient Donatello. "Oh yeah, do you know where we could get some electronic equipment?" Saringai asked Zareb before he forgot the reason he was there in the first place.

"Only know of two places. There's Shere Khan's stall, and I think the monkey's stall has also got some more stock in," Zareb suggested. He looked at the bows and arrows in Donatello's paws. "Something tells me that you're not going to trade at Shere Khan's."

"Ok, you boys can go off and trade those bows and arrows for electronics at the monkey's stall. You are _not_ to trade at Shere Khan's. There is no way we are giving quality weapons to our enemies. Understand?" The boys nodded in agreement before running off into the crowds. Saringai stayed to speak to Zareb.

"Have you heard what's happened to Venus?" Zareb asked once the boys were gone.

"No… I haven't heard anything about her for a long time, not since she was a cub. Is she ok? What's the news?" Saringai questioned anxiously.

"She was captured by Shere Khan, and he spared her life. She's now one of his servants".

"He didn't kill her? Well, that's excellent news for us to know that she's still alive but… Shere Khan's read the 'Book of Mutants'. He knows better than to keep her alive. Why did he do that?" Saringai wondered out loud. Zareb shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"I don't like this. He's got something up his sleeve. It's just… odd," Saringai said softly, still trying to guess Shere Khan's motive. 

The boys barged through the crowds. They thought they were going to get lost, but thanks to Leonardo's extra height, they managed to spot the monkey's stall. They walked over to the table containing many electronic gadgets, much to Donatello's delight. He piled the weapons on top of Michelangelo before browsing through the stall's contents. In a matter of seconds, Donatello had managed to pick out the parts that he needed. Satisfied, he signaled the stall owner, a rather dark Mona monkey over so that the haggling could begin.

"Ok, I will trade you all of these weapons, for these three gadgets," Donatello offered.

"No," the Mona monkey snapped. Michelangelo, being the leader, stepped forward and took over.

"Ok, these are really good quality bows and arrows. You can put some oil on the tip and shoot the arrow on fire if you wanted to, or you could tie a rope at the end and use it to climb up walls…"

"… You could use them to assassinate Shere Khan with…" Raphael interrupted.

"No."

"Ok, well how about…"

"No! No trade! NO TRADE!!!" The monkey hooted and screeched, bouncing up and down while banging on his chest. He quickly picked up a pebble and threw it at Donatello. It hit him in the middle of his forehead.

"Let's get outta here!" Raphael exclaimed.

"Creepy little monkey…" Donatello muttered, rubbing his forehead where the rock had made contact. Saringai was still with Zareb when they found him. Saringai looked at their disappointed faces and at the weapons that still hadn't been traded.

"I'm sorry… we failed."

"By any chance was it a rather dark Mona monkey at the stall?" Zareb questioned. The boys nodded. "Oh, don't worry. He never trades."

"Then why does he own a stall?" Leonardo asked, voice still breaking.

"…He's a monkey. What did you expect? Come back another time when his sister operates the stall."

"Is she any better?"

"No… not really."

The group sighed, knowing they had been defeated. After saying goodbye to Zareb, they headed back home. It was then Michelangelo remembered something.

"Hey Master? Can we go to this party tomorrow night?"

"No."

"Oh why not?" Michelangelo whined. He had never been to a party before and desperately wanted to know what the all the fuss was about.

"Because it doesn't feel right. I don't know what motives Shere Khan has behind all this. It could be a trap for all I know," Saringai explained. Michelangelo pouted.

"Pretty please?"

"No!" Saringai snapped, starting to sound like the monkey.

*****

"Just ask him!" Rachel pleaded.

"But he'll say no!" Venus protested.

"Oh no he won't. Just go in there and ask. I'll be waiting right here." Rachel said with encouragement. Venus sighed and opened the door to Shere Khan's study. She found the Siberian tiger sitting at his desk, flicking through some paperwork. He sensed her presence and shifted his gaze to look at her. Venus' heart skipped a beat.

"Uh… I was wondering if I could join the party that's on tonight…"

"No," Shere Khan said simply. He went back to reading. Venus looked back towards the doorway and gave Rachel an 'I told you so' face. Rachel sighed and entered the room, approaching Shere Khan.

"Shere Khan. Since I'm allowed to join the party, I was wondering why Venus couldn't. I'll be happy to watch over her. I'm sure she won't get into any trouble. I mean, she's done all her chores for the week. She's done them quite well I might add. I think it's only fair to reward her for her work," Rachel tried, speaking for Venus' behalf. Shere Khan looked at Rachel, thinking to himself.

"Oh alright," Shere Khan groaned. He never could say 'no' to Rachel. The two females smiled and thanked the tiger politely before leaving him alone to get back to his work. 

"Yes!" Venus cheered. Ever since she'd heard about the event, she desperately wanted to go. She gave Rachel a high-five.

"Told you he'd say yes," the jackal said in a matter-of-fact tone. Venus gasped in panic.

"Oh, what am I going to wear?!"

"Don't worry. I have the perfect thing for you."

"Hey Venus!" Kathryn called out from down the hall. She confidently walked up to the two mutants, glaring daggers at Rachel. "Stay the hell away from Sebastian! He's mine! Don't you dare interfere!" Kathryn warned. She didn't agree with her mother's no action plan. Kathryn wanted to take matters into her own hands. When it came to Sebastian, she wanted Venus out of the picture completely. She didn't like the bet that was made, and she especially didn't want Shere Khan to win. If Shere Khan won, then he'd get Rachel, therefore making it easier for Seabstian to date her. Kathryn had always despised Rachel, and now that Venus was in the way, she hated her as well. 

"Relax. Gees, he's the one that won't leave _me_ alone. Don't go blaming me! Besides, I'm not even attracted to him," Venus debated. Kathryn glared at both of them.

"How could you not be attracted to Sebastian? He's the cutest boy around here!" Kathryn defended. Venus smirked.

"So… now you're saying that I should be attracted to him? You're not making any sense!" Venus said sniggering. Rachel smiled. Kathryn looked really pissed off. 

"Just leave him alone! Or else…" with that said, Kathryn started to walk off.

"Or else what?" Venus called out bravely. Kathryn didn't respond; she just kept walking. "What a weird girl," Venus commented to Rachel, who seemed to have loved every minute of that little spat. 

*****

Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello quietly entered Leonardo's room, hoping that they could bring their youngest brother along with them for the ride. All six eyes scanned Leo/Raph's bedroom trying to find him. This had to be one of the most bizarre rooms someone could come across. Leonardo and Raphael were like the odd couple. The right side of the room, Leonardo's side, was incredibly neat. The bed had been made, his books were neatly stacked, and his spare shorts were clean and folded perfectly. Raphael's side looked like a bomb had hit it. There was a physical 'line' going through the center of the room; where Raphael garbage magically stopped and where Leonardo's polished floorboards began. 

They found Leonardo sitting on the floor reading a book, back resting against the bed. "Wanna go to a party Leo?" Michelangelo asked, voice to the minimum as to not to alert the leopard near by. 

"Master said 'no'. Besides, we've got an early class tomorrow morning," Leonardo said with a deep voice, eyes still glued to his book. His brothers had grown quite envious of Leo's deep voice, but wouldn't admit it. Not after one week of teasing.

"You know, there are more things in life than taking class," Raphael commented, hands on hips. "And why do I have to be the horse!" Raphael complained. Leonardo looked up from his book and saw his brothers in full costume, ready to go. Raphael wore a brown potato sack with holes for his arms, legs and tail. His tail was covered in thin, long blades of brown grass, and lastly, he wore a plastic horse mask on his head.

"Shh… keep your voices down. Honestly Raph, the horse is one of nature's most noblest of creatures," Michelangelo said, humouring him. 

"Noble my ass!"

"You know, I thought the donkey would of suited him more," Donatello commented.

"Oh shut up."

"Then we can accurately call you an ass!" Donatello followed up.

"Shut up Moon Boy!"

Donatello wore a large yellow sphere. Leonardo wondered how on earth he was going to sit down in that thing. Attached to the sphere was a thin metal frame that supported a number of polystyrene balls.

"What you supposed to be?" Leonardo asked.

"Our Planetary Solar System," Donatello answered.

"Yeah, the moon even orbits around the earth!" Michelangelo flicked the tiny ball so that it spun around the bigger ball that was 'the earth'.

"Stop doing that!" Donatello protested. Leonardo raised an eyebrow when he looked at what Michelangelo was wearing more closely. He wore a brown tasseled leather skirt and a rather large bronze bra plate.

"What the hell are you?" Leonardo asked with a 'I-can't-believe-that-you're-wearing-that' tone.

"Xena."

"So are you gonna come or not?" Raphael asked, patience growing thin.

"I told you. Master said that we couldn't go."

"Well, I'm the leader and I order you to go to this party with us," Michelangelo commanded. He knew that was usually all it took to get Leonardo to obey. Leonardo didn't like to go against orders, and his older brothers often used this to their advantage.

"I'm sorry, but Master said 'no', and I'm afraid that he overrides your decision," Leonardo replied.

"Oh come on Leo, do it for me," Donatello said using a softer tone.

"Only if you can find some sort of lesson out of this experience we're about to undergo."

"Um… how about, 'we should know our enemies better than we know ourselves'? We're going to Shere Khan's mansion and this party gives us a great opportunity to snoop around. What do ya say?" Donatello said, hoping that Leonardo would come. Leonardo paused to think about what Donatello had just said.

"Alright," Leonardo finally gave in. His brothers beamed a smile. "What am I going to wear?"

"You're going to be the Knight in Shining Armour!" Michelangelo produced a shiny material undergarment and some plastic silver armour. "You get to carry a sword!"

"I always carry a sword! Where did you get all this stuff?"

"One word. Storage Tree." Raphael answered.

"That's two words," Donatello corrected.

"Oh Shut up! Leo doesn't have to ride me does he?" Raphael asked. His brothers didn't answer. "DOES HE?"

"Shhh… Leo hurry up and get dressed. We'll meet you outside. Oh, and don't forget to bring your cell phone… just in case we get lost or separated… or injured… or…"

"Michelangelo, shut up. You're making me think that this is a bad idea. Let's just go already." Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello filed out of the room, leaving Leonardo to get dressed.


	14. Leo Is Blinded

Chapter 14: Leo Is Blinded.

Thunder clouds powerfully rolled over the mountainous region, but that wasn't enough to cancel the small yet spectacular fireworks display at the mansion. The coalition of cheetahs watched with awe and excitement from afar. Their eagerness quickly turned into nervousness when they finally reached the fortress gates. It seemed like everyone had brought a weapon along with them, as if everybody had his or her own plan of some sort of assassination. Two lion security guards sat out the front, collecting any offending objects. 

"How are we going to get in? They'll recognise us!" Donatello whispered to his twin as they slowly approached the entrance. Michelangelo gave his brother a worried glance. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. 

"Please place any weapons in the container on the table", one of the guards said lazily. Judging from the accumulated pile of harmful things, it seemed that the guards had been on duty for quite some time and were starting to get a bit sloppy in their responsibilities. The lions gave them all a quick look, before returning to their card game that they were playing to pass the time. Not wanting to cause any trouble later on, the boys gave in their weapons nevertheless. The cheetahs were quite surprised that the guards hadn't recognised, or hadn't realised who they were yet. They quickly rushed through the gates anyway, not wanting to stay and test the lion's memory. 

The boys followed some other guests through the garden, slowly approaching the main hall where the party was supposedly going to be held. "I can't walk in this thing!" Donatello complained as he waddled in his sun sphere. His brothers giggled at Donatello's new walk. Michelangelo flicked the 'moon' so that it orbited around the 'earth' again. "I told you to stop doing that!"

The hall was filled with many costumed mutants, all of which seemed to be having a great time. A giant chandelier was suspended from the ceiling illuminating the most of the room. The music came from a small band situated near the base of the main staircase, which lead up to the 'East' and 'West Wings'. A large table covered in drinks and snacks was on the right side of the room. Leonardo looked around, only to find that his brothers had already disappeared. He sighed and went in search of something fun to do.

"Excuse me. Are you Shere Khan?" asked a cheetah wearing a black mask and a ninja costume. 

"I am," the tiger said in between sips of his champagne. 

"I've heard rumours that you own servant, a female cheetah by the name of Venus. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is." Shere Khan answered simply. He hadn't seen this mutant before and didn't know who he was. The cheetah seemed to be around the same age as Venus and the boys, though the tiger was fairly certain that he wasn't one of the State Mutants in disguise.

"I was wondering if I would be able to buy Venus off you," the male cheetah offered, a dark tone in his voice. Shere Khan thought about this. 

"I'm sorry but Venus isn't for sale," Shere Khan said bluntly. Venus was too valuable to him. Besides, he wanted to win that bet he'd made with Vasha. "I haven't seen you around before. What's your name?"

"Galileo," the cheetah answered. 

"Well, if I change my mind about Venus, you'll be the first to know", Shere Khan said. He didn't want to leave on bad terms and wanted to keep his options open as all decent villains do. Galileo gave a wry grin.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. By the way, I love your Darth Vader costume."

"Thanks. Darth Vader's my idol," Shere Khan explained while admiring his own outfit.

"Mine too," Galileo added before disappearing into the crowds.

Rachel and Venus stood at the top of the main staircase, staring into the crowds below them. "Wow! It looks like everyone from Ikhaya Labantu showed up!" Venus exclaimed to Rachel. Rachel smiled and nodded in response. She knew that her angel costume would look great on Venus, and she was right. The white elegant dress, feathery wings and golden tinsel halo made Venus look… angelic. Rachel had wanted to wear the costume herself, but she decided that it suited Venus more. So she wore her horse costume instead.

"Hello Venus," a voice said. Venus spun around, only to find that the voice belonged to a male cheetah wearing a ninja costume. Rachel glared at him.

"H… how did you know my name?" Venus stammered, a bit freaked out.

"… Surely you remember who I am?" Galileo teased. Venus' expression remained blank. "… What happened to you? How can you forget me after all _we_ went through?" Galileo asked with an evil intention behind his words. Venus started to feel uncomfortable. Rachel stepped forward a snarl on her face.

"Leave her alone Galileo," she growled.

"Rachel… how could I forget you?" Galileo growled back. He began to understand the hint that he wasn't wanted. "Well, I'll be seeing you later Venus. You can bet on it." He left the two girls and walked down the stairs.

"Who… who was he?" Venus asked, feeling uneasy and confused about the incident. She didn't like the fact that he somehow knew about her past.

"His name is Galileo. Trust me, this is one guy you'd _want_ to forget." Rachel said, eyes still following him through the crowds.

"Is it just me, or does every guy around here want me for something?" Venus sighed. Rachel laughed.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there's somebody out there that'll treat you right. You just haven't met them as of yet."

"Yeah, maybe your right."

"Anyway, I'm hungry. I'm going to go down to the buffet table to pig out. Will you be ok if I leave you for a while?" Rachel asked. She was a bit concerned knowing full well that Galileo was out there. Rachel and Galileo had met before, quite a long time ago. Venus just smiled which suggested that she'd be fine. She wanted to explore the party be herself anyway.

Rachel walked down the stairs, pushing her way through the dancing crowds, slowly making her way to the buffet table. She picked up her plate and began to pile on some of the many different varieties of foods available. Rachel was so preoccupied with her activity that she bumped into the person beside her. "Oh sorry!" She said instantly, as though it was second nature to her. 

"That's alright", the male murmured. He was wearing a horse costume as well. "Neigh," Raphael said unenthusiastically when he realised they were both wearing the same outfit. Raphael lifted up his horse mask to see Rachel better. Rachel lifted up her horse mask as well, smiled, then playfully gave a little whinny. Raphael smiled back.

Leonardo sighed. He wasn't having a great time at all. For most of the night he had been searching for his brothers. He'd only managed to find Donatello, who was currently in the bathroom, and had been in there for quite some time now. It seemed like the 'genius' forgot to put a zipper down the front of his spherical Solar System costume. Leonardo sighed again, waiting outside the bathroom for Donatello to finally emerge. He gave up waiting after ten minutes and decided to have a little walk around. He pushed through the clumps of talkative people who were having a better time than he was. Head down, he barged over to one of the many columns that supported the room, and lounged backwards, arms crossed. His eyes scanned the partying people, hoping to find either Raphael or Michelangelo. What he found was something completely unexpected.

In one moment, he'd forgotten what he was searching for in the first place. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Leonardo didn't notice anyone else in the room besides himself and the mysterious girl. Even though the world seemed to slow, his heart raced a mile a minute. Millions of questions like 'who is she?' and 'should I speak to her?' whirled like a tornado through his mind. Just standing there in the middle of the crowds, was an angel, a female mutant cheetah. He had never seen one of _those_ before. The female noticed her secret admirer and began to stare back at Leonardo, a shy smile on her face. He blushed and gave a shy smile back. Confidence continued to build and the girl began to walk over. Leonardo started to panic. He was nervous. He was shy. He was… in love.

Venus started to work her way over to the mystery boy who had caught her eye, only to be stopped by Sebastian dressed in an astronaut suit. "Surely I'm allowed to have at least one dance with you?" the tiger said, blocking her way. Venus desperately wanted to talk with the knight in shining armour, but she gave into Sebastian's request as she figured that he'd keep bothering her if she said 'no'. Sebastian smiled and held Venus' hands, getting ready for the next song to be produced by the band. The music started, and Sebastian pulled Venus slightly closer to him, beginning to dance. Venus followed, but her focus of attention always remained on the quiet boy leaning against the column. She admired the male cheetah's baby blue eyes and gave him a subtle smile when Sebastian wasn't looking. It was almost as though Venus was including him into the dance, always acknowledging that he was there. The boy watched intently from the sidelines, not letting it get to him that Venus was dancing with another male.

The song ended, and so did Sebastian and Venus' dance. The crowd politely applauded the instrumentalists before getting ready for the next song. While Sebastian was occupied clapping, Venus sneaked away unnoticed, over towards the anxious cheetah who had been so keenly watching her. 

Leonardo gently held one of the girl's paws and lead her through the crowd, away from Sebastian's prying eyes. When he was satisfied with his new position in the room, he looked into her eyes and asked softly, "Surely I'm allowed to have at least one dance with you?" The female cheetah giggled in response, and happily agreed to dance with the cute stranger she'd just met. The music began and away they went, moving as one in perfect harmony. "What's your name?" Leonardo whispered in her ear.

"Venus," she answered kindly. '_Venus…_' It was a name that he'd heard so very long ago; long before he was mutant. He tried to think back, reminiscing his life story in the process. '_It couldn't be…_' Leonardo thought. '_Could it be Venus?… It can't be… that was before my brothers and I were mutants. If that IS her, then she must have mutated. But she wasn't with us at the time… it can't be her. The Venus I know couldn't have been mutated. She's still a normal cheetah! I haven't seen her before. I haven't seen a female mutant cheetah around. Surely I would have heard by now if she was the Venus I know. It must be coincidence… it can't be Venus, the cub I grew up with all those months ago…_'

"What's yours?" Venus asked, staring into his thoughtful blue eyes, breaking him out of his trance.

"Huh?… oh! My name's Leonardo." The name rang a bell deep in Venus' mind, but her memory remained blank, so she shrugged it off, ignoring her thoughts completely. 

'_Where is she?'_ Sebastian wondered, searching through the party. It didn't take him long to find Venus… dancing with Leonardo. Anger boiled deep inside, but Sebastian managed to control it, thinking of more clever ways to deal with this issue. After a few minutes of looking, Sebastian finally managed to find his father. Shere Khan was now on top of the main staircase. He was having a drink with Vasha, who was dressed as Cleopatra. "Dad! The State Mutants are here!" Sebastian called out over the music. After three glasses of champagne, two bottles of beer, wine and vodka, Shere Khan was feeling a little tipsy. He looked down at his guests and spotted Michelangelo hogging the food at the buffet table. Shere Khan put an arm around his son's shoulders, leaning some of his weight on to Sebastian.

"It's fine, fine. Jusst leave them alone… let them have ssome fun. Leave them alone…" Shere Khan said, his words beginning to slur.

"WHAT?! But Dad…"

"ENOUGH! What do you want to do? Cause a mutiny amongst my guests?" Shere Khan snapped suddenly, turning a little violent. Even though the tiger was drunk, he still stuck with his goal in making the citizens of Ikhaya Labantu like him. Vasha rolled her eyes but kept quiet. It was clear to Sebastian that Vasha just wanted to get rid of the cheetahs. 

One dance had magically turned into eight. To Venus, this boy was different from all the others she'd met. She admired all the little things about Leonardo; how he spoke, how his hands held hers and how his small crest down the back of his neck ruffled as he moved. She adored his eyes, those eyes that were so calming to her. They both applauded at the end of the next song. The conductor made an announcement for people who wanted to do some karaoke. A male cheetah, dressed as what looked like Xena, volunteered. Leonardo groaned. "Do you know him?" Venus asked, being curious.

"He's my brother… and my leader," Leonardo moaned. Venus laughed. Leonardo blushed from embarrassment because not only did he know this guy, he was related to him as well. The band started to play, and Michelangelo began to sing along with the music.

"He's ok at singing though," Venus commented, trying to cheer him up. Leonardo agreed. Michelangelo managed to get a large applause at the end, and a few shouts of 'Go Michael!' coming from Raphael. "So how many brothers have you got?" Venus asked, wanting to know more about him.

"Three brothers. Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello. I'm the youngest," Leonardo answered.

"Oh… So you're the baby!" Venus crooned. Leonardo nodded with a slight smile on his face. "You got a little coalition going there haven't you?" Venus analysed. It was quite common for male cheetahs, usually brothers, to stay together in small groups (coalitions) of about two to four members when living in the wild. Venus sighed to herself as sad thoughts drifted through her mind. She may not have noticed, but her facial expressions soon reflected her feelings from the inside.

"What's wrong?" Leonardo asked when he saw her face.

"I was just thinking… I've never really had a family. Well, not one that I can remember anyway…" Venus said softly, watching her toe as she slowly traced it around the floor.

"I see," Leonardo said quietly, furiously thinking of a solution to the problem. He gently pulled Venus over to the buffet table, grabbed a serviette/napkin and pulled out a pen that he'd forgotten to take out of his pocket earlier that day. He quickly jotted down something and handed it to Venus. "It's my cell phone number. If you ever feel lonely or just want to chat, then phone me. I'd love to hear from you," Leonardo said, answering Venus' unspoken question. The girl smiled in excitement and gave Leonardo a hug of appreciation. Even though Venus didn't really have access to a phone, it still meant a lot to her. Apart from Rachel, she didn't know anybody else as a friend. Friendship rapidly turned into love when Leonardo and Venus leaned forward, and kissed…

"Venus…" Rachel said, hating to interrupt the two. Venus and Leonardo jumped apart, blushing in slight embarrassment. "… Um… your Master wants to see you," Rachel completed. Venus gave Leonardo a quick 'excuse me for a moment' look, before walking through the bustling crowds and up the stairs. She found Shere Khan leaning heavily against the wall, finding it hard to keep his balance. Venus looked at the tiger weirdly, before realising that Shere Khan was thoroughly drunk; her assumption from the empty bottles surrounding him. 

"…Veenuss… What wass that 'ing that yuu used to doo?" Shere Khan asked, words obviously slurring. Venus continued to look at him weirdly. "Yuuu knowww? That thingg. Where… There's a little rock and… yuu did thisss sstuff to it…" Shere Khan continued to ramble. Venus had absolutely no idea what he was going on about, but she went along with it, trying to keep a straight face. The tiger continued to ramble while Venus nodded her head, humouring him. 

__

'Shere Khan is her Master?!?' Leonardo watched in both shock and horror at the bottom of the stairs, eyes wide as he stared at Venus taking orders from Shere Khan, his enemy. He was confused and wanted an explanation, but he couldn't speak to her in front of Shere Khan. All he could do was watch the conversation between his love and enemy.

"Ok, I'll go do that thing you told me to do straight away," Venus said, finishing up her senseless conversation with Shere Khan. Venus turned around and looked down at Leonardo. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion with the look she was receiving from him. Kathryn, dressed up as a princess, came up and stood beside Venus, staring at the shocked Leonardo. 

"I saw the whole thing. You're lucky that Shere Khan is drunk, and that Vasha is busy, because if they saw what I saw… you'd be dead in a second," Kathryn whispered evilly in her ear. 

"What? Why?" Venus asked, confused by what Kathryn had meant.

"That boy is bad news. He's Leonardo, a State Mutant. Student of Saringai, Shere Khan's sworn enemy. You're treading on _very_ thin ice, Venus. I won't tell, as long as you stay away from Sebastian. You understand?" Kathryn blackmailed. Venus gave a small nod, admitting defeat. Leonardo was an enemy. That was that. But she couldn't just leave it there. Or could she? Tears started to build up in her eyes, but none fell. She didn't know what to think or do. So she simply just stared back at the confused boy at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey! Leonardo!" Michelangelo called out loudly, nearly jumping on top of him. Raphael and Donatello were close behind. "Hey dude! Where've you been?" Michelangelo asked excitedly. Leonardo continued to look up at Venus. Michelangelo followed his gaze. "Eeew, gross. It's a girl… C'mon let's go. If we don't go now, then we're not gonna make it home before Saringai wakes up. C'mon!" Michelangelo grabbed Leonardo's hand and tugged him away, his two other brothers close behind. 

When outside, they collected their weapons and armed themselves once again. The clouds rumbled and the heavens opened up, unleashing pouring rain which quickly drenched everyone standing outside. "Well… it looks like the rains have finally come," Raphael yelled over the sound of the splattering water droplets. 

"C'mon, we better go!" Michelangelo announced loudly, water trickling into his mouth as he spoke. As the cheetahs started to leave, Leonardo stayed behind. He couldn't leave Venus. He wanted answers and didn't know if he'd ever see her again. He had this desperate urge to see her. It was stupid and it made no sense why he wanted to speak to a friend of his enemies, but he had to. There wasn't a reason; it was just simply that he wanted to. His brothers continued to walk away through the rain, not realising that their youngest brother wasn't with them.

Author's Note: Woo hoo! We've finally started the crossovers. The first part of this fanfic is actually the most original, while the rest of it I'll just be combining a mix of movies, cartoons and TV shows (heh, so much for creativity!). I don't think the crossovers so far are that obvious, but trust me, there will be some ones that you will recognise really easily (ten points if you know the two movies that have influenced this chapter!). I know there are a lot of characters, and at the end of the next chapter I will add on a quick summary of the characters. I wasn't going to do it this chapter because I feel I need to do a little bit more character building first. Btw, if you were wondering about the title of this chapter, it's metaphorical (I hope you weren't thinking literal! I'd never do that to Leo!).


	15. The Aftermath

Chapter 15: The Aftermath. 

The falling rain began to mat the cheetah's fur as he stood outside looking at the dangerous building that lay ahead of him. _'Have I gone crazy?'_ Leonardo wondered to himself. There he was, sneaking around Shere Khan's backyard in the pouring rain, by himself, trying to find a girl that he'd only met hours earlier. He had no idea where Venus was. All the cheetah knew was that Shere Khan was Venus' Master. With that clue, Leonardo headed in the direction of Shere Khan's bedroom, hoping that Venus might occupy one of the bedrooms nearby. He shivered slightly; partly because of fear, and partly because of the increasing wind that bit into him.

There were a couple of rooms near Shere Khan's bedroom; each having their own balcony and each and every one of them had the light on. The curtains that separated the balconies and rooms were drawn shut, preventing Leonardo from seeing who was inside. All he could do was guess, and pray that he found the correct room. Leonardo sighed tiredly before trying the room that looked like it was going to be the hardest to get into first: the one above the swimming pool. He grunted in effort as he slowly climbed the slippery vines, making his way sideways above the pond, before going upwards towards the balcony. He nimbly hauled himself over the banister and peeped through the curtains. First time lucky.

Venus, still wearing her angel costume, lay face upwards on the bed, her eyes staring off into space. Thoughts about Leonardo and how he was an enemy drifted through her mind. "Psst…" Venus' eyes darted around the room, trying to find the person who'd made the sound. Leonardo poked his head through the curtains. Venus nervously looked around before rushing over to let her guest in. 

"What are you doing here? You know they'll kill you if they find you!" Venus whispered.

"I had to see you again," Leonardo said.

"Shh… Shere Khan's just down the hall," Venus reminded him. 

"Then we'll have to talk elsewhere." Leonardo took her hand and led her to the balcony.

"But it's pouring outside."

"Oh, it's only water," Leonardo grinned. Venus couldn't help but smile back at his determination.

"Are you crazy?" Venus joked.

"Nope. Just in love." The couple stepped out onto the balcony. The rain continued to dribble down, drenching everything it touched. It only took a few seconds for Venus' costume to become soaked. They both squinted, trying to keep the running water out of their eyes. Leonardo looked over the banister for a way down. The large slick vines looked foreboding and menacing from where they were standing. 

"How are we going to get down?" Venus asked the question they were both wondering. Leonardo had an idea. He slipped one leg over the banister then offered his hand to Venus. She looked the hand with uncertainty. 

"Do you trust me?" Leonardo asked. He started to become nervous, wondering what it could mean if the answer was 'no'. She could squeal on him at any time. She had the power to, as she was a servant to Shere Khan. It was one of the things he feared the most; being captured. Now would especially be a bad time to be caught because none of his family knew where he was. Relief swept through him when Venus accepted his hand with a sweet smile and sat down beside him. "Hold your breath!"

They jumped off the balcony and splashed into the pool below. It took only a second to recover from the impact, and they quickly resurfaced with no problems. Venus held a shocked expression on her face. She hadn't expected Leonardo to do that. The soggy male cheetah cheekily grinned back. Venus playfully splashed him. He retaliated with his own splash of water. Within moments, a full on water war started. Leonardo and Venus were continually splashing each other, while at the same time, going through bouts of laughter. Venus scrambled out of the pool, hoping she'd have a better advantage on land; not that it really mattered as she was getting wet whether she was in the pool or not. When Leonardo realised that his water splashes were out of range, he jumped out of the pool and managed to grab hold of Venus around her waist, causing her to shriek with laughter. 

Soon they both calmed down, their stomachs sore from all the giggling. Leonardo's hold quickly evolved into that of a peaceful hug, something that Venus graciously returned. They held each other for a minute, letting the rain pelt down around them. Venus calmly rested her head on Leo's shoulder. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" Venus sighed, the rain slowly rolling down her forehead and dripping onto Leo's shoulder. 

"I do now." Leonardo moved slightly away from Venus so he could look her in the eyes, showing that he meant it. This time there were no fears of Sebastian watching, nor was there anyone to interrupt them. A small smile toyed on Venus' mouth. The rain continued to patter down as the two cheetahs kissed affectionately on the lips. Leonardo couldn't believe what was happening, not that he wasn't enjoying it, but it was just the thought that a few hours earlier he didn't even want to go to this party, and now he was hopelessly in love, enjoying every minute of it. 

There was a short awkward silence when they finally broke apart. Venus' eyes glistened with curiosity as she pulled out something from behind Leo's back. "Wow…" Venus said softly, admiring the shiny blade. "Cool sword!" Venus commented. Leonardo smiled.

"It's actually called a katana," he corrected. Leonardo pulled out his second katana to show her that one as well. 

"How do you hold it? Do you hold it like this?" Venus asked. Leonardo held his second katana as an example, but Venus still held hers somewhat incorrectly. Leonardo sheathed the sword he was holding and clasped his hands around hers.

"Here. Hold it like this." Leonardo moved her hands further apart and fixed up her grip on the hilt. She smiled in gratitude. "You can have a couple of swings if you want."

"Heh, I don't think I will. I'm scared that I'll chop my hand off or something!" Venus joked. "How long have you had this weapon?" 

"About a week and a half now I think."

"Really?… Can you show me a few moves?" Venus asked with an inquisitive tone. Leonardo complied and gently took the single katana out of her hands. He performed a few flashy sword movements, causing little droplets of water to fling off the blade as he swung. "You're pretty good for only a week, I must admit," Venus said, somewhat impressed by his ability. Leonardo changed the topic of conversation.

"So how long have you been working for Shere Khan?" He asked while sheathing his sword after he was finished playing around with it. 

"Umm… Actually, I've been here a week and a half as well!"

"Really?… Wow, this conversation's going around in circles!" Leonardo realised. Venus giggled. "So, how come you're working for him?" Leonardo said a bit more seriously.

"Well… I was captured. It's stupid really. I sneaked into Shere Khan's mansion one night to look at this weird book that he had. I only knew about it because I overheard a conversation about it earlier that day. Anyway, while I was there reading the book, the four people who I overheard the conversation from in the first place appeared and took it from me… then I was captured… if that makes any sense… it's complicated."

"I… It does make sense actually…" It finally dawned on Leonardo. He began to feel guilty; guilty because he realised that it was his brothers and him who caused Venus to get caught. Leonardo was one of the four people that were there that night; he had kicked the 'Book of Mutants' out of Venus' grasp and kept her busy with his twin katanas. If they weren't there that night, then Venus might have had another story to tell. "I… I'm sorry. I should have made sure that you escaped…" Leonardo said softly.

"Huh? What? What are you saying?" Venus said, looking confused.

"I… I was the one who held you up… you know, with the katanas. You might have escaped if it wasn't for my brothers and myself…" Leonardo said uncertainly, unsure of what her reaction might be. Venus all at once understood what he was talking about. Surprisingly, she wasn't angry; she couldn't be angry with him.

"It's alright, I suppose. I can't really blame you. As, I think, one of your brother's said, it was your master's book… so as long as it's in the right hands now, then I guess I'm happy. I shouldn't have been there in the first place, so it's my fault anyway," Venus admitted softly. Even though Venus had just said that it wasn't really his fault, Leonardo still felt a little guilty. A question soon came to his mind.

"Why were you looking through the book in the first place?"

"I, um, have lost most of my memories. The last thing I can remember was a burning building. I was sort of hoping that the book that you guys retrieved, might of given me some clues about who I was, since it had the word 'mutant' in the title… but I didn't find anything fast enough… Who is your Master anyway?" Venus asked.

"My Ninja Master is a mutant leopard by the name of Saringai. He's pretty nice once you get to know him. I'll have to get him to meet you one time," Leonardo offered, still wanting to make up for causing her to get caught.

"I would like that," Venus said softly, looking him in the eyes. An idea formed in Leo's brain.

"Come with me… I'll introduce you to my family. It'll be fun. We can leave now, before anyone even realises that you're missing," Leonardo offered enthusiastically. Venus thought about this, then remembered the story Rachel told her about what happened to servants who disobeyed. She shuddered at the thought of what Shere Khan might do to her if she was recaptured. 

"I… I can't. You don't know what'll happen to me if they find me again. I can't do that. I can't do that to Rachel… I know that you feel bad because of the whole book incident, and you don't have to make up for it by helping me to escape. In a way. I'm kind of happy that I was caught, 'cause if I wasn't, then I would of never have met Rachel, and we might not have met each other. I hope you can understand… I can't leave. It's not that simple. " Venus explained sadly, her head down. Leonardo nodded slowly in the same depressed emotion.

Lightning started to flicker across the cloudy sky. Loud booms of thunder followed, echoing through the cliffs and valleys of the land. Leonardo looked up at the changing weather; the rain still continuing it's drenching spell. "I should be going…" Leonardo said sadly.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I'll definitely make a point to try. It could be difficult, you know, me being the enemy of your master and all."

"I don't care about that," Venus admitted, her tone quite serious yet somewhat gentle. Leonardo smiled and started to blush slightly. They both stood there in the rain, looking at each other. "… I thought you said that you had to go?" Venus reminded, using a bit more of a lighter tone this time. There was another lightning flash, soon followed by a loud rumbling in the sky.

"I do. It's just that… I don't really want to go…"

"Same here… then again, I'm getting kinda drenched out here…" Venus joked. Leonardo chuckled and agreed. 

"I'll see you later then," Leonardo said awkwardly. 

"Goodnight, and good luck", Venus wished. After what seemed one thousand good-byes, they eventually left and walked their separate ways. 

Venus strolled back to the pool area by herself, hoping that she could climb back up to her balcony. No such luck. The poor guttering at the top of the building had flooded, creating the waterfall effect Sebastian told her about. Large amounts of water flowed over the slippery vines, making the decision to climb them a dangerous one indeed. Sebastian was right, it was quite beautiful, but it wasn't what Venus needed right now. She grumbled. Venus had no way to get back inside, because if she went through the first floor and up the main staircase, someone would surely see her and ask what she had been doing outside; a question that she couldn't answer. Venus had one last resort. She turned and headed to the other side of the building.

"RACHEL!!!" Venus yelled as loud as she could, up at Rachel's balcony. A female jackal's head popped in-between the drawn curtains a few moments later. Venus waved, catching Rachel's attention. Rachel frowned but didn't ask any questions. A few minutes passed before Rachel returned, this time with a rope made of knotted sheets. Venus used the temporary rope to climb up; Rachel helped by reeling the cheetah in. 

Rachel frowned at Venus; her feathery angel wings dripped and drooped and her tinsel halo was now plastered to her head from the bombardment of water it endured. Venus looked at Rachel sheepishly. "What were you doing outside?" Rachel asked in wonderment. Venus bit her lip and didn't answer. "…Were you with someone else outside?" Rachel asked, curiosity brewing. Venus shook her head as 'no'. Rachel gave her a look. Venus' 'no' head shake turned into a 'yes' nod, a small, shy smile forming on her face. Rachel grinned. She knew all there was to know about Venus. The black-backed jackal sat on the bed. "Alright, who was he?"

"Promise you won't tell?"

"I promise… who am I going to tell anyway? Vasha?" Rachel joked.

"His name is Leonardo, you know, Shere Khan's enemy…" Venus said, a bit unsure. Rachel continued to grin.

"Don't be ashamed of that. If you ask me, I think they're all pretty cute!" Rachel said somewhat enthusiastically. Venus looked at her, wondering what Rachel was hiding.

"Ok, what did you get up to at the party?"

"Well, I bumped into Raphael… you know, Leonardo's brother?" Rachel questioned. Venus nodded in understanding. "… And we got talking and we did a bit of dancing… we didn't run around in the rain unlike you though," Rachel said, winking.

"Nothing happened!" Venus protested.

"That's not what I saw at the party!" Rachel teased. Venus bit her lip again, her cheeks heating up a little in embarrassment. 

"So are you going for younger guys now are you?" Venus asked, throwing the focus of the conversation back onto to Rachel. Rachel grinned.

"Well… Raphael is pretty cute… Well who do you think I should go for? Sebastian!?! There is no way I'm ever going out with that tiger! No way!… So,… are you going to meet again?" Rachel asked inquisitively. Venus couldn't help but smile. "Oh wow, congratulations!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly. She was extremely happy for Venus because she knew how hard it was to find love in the mutant world. Rachel jumped off the bed and hugged Venus. "Ack! You're wet!… You know, you can get changed in my bathroom. I can get you some dry clothes," Rachel offered, guiding her to the restroom.

"You have your own bathroom?" Venus asked, a bit jealous.

"Yeah… but I had to beg Shere Khan and Vasha for about a month to get it!" Rachel said. Venus stepped into the bathroom and turned to look at Rachel. 

"Thanks for doing this," Venus said seriously. Rachel smiled in acceptance before quickly grabbing some dry clothes for Venus. She handed the clothing to her and closed the door, allowing Venus to get changed.

*****

Leonardo plodded up the stairs to the dining room. The weather had slowed his traveling speed down considerably, and he arrived back home at sunrise. Leo was not at all surprised to see Saringai and his brothers sitting there at the table. His brothers seemed to sigh in relief, while Saringai's expression remained firm. "Leonardo, get in here! You're late!" The leopard ordered sharply in a mad tone. Leonardo had never seen him this angry before. He walked over to the table, his outfit dripped droplets of water onto the floor as he moved. He sat down quietly, mentally preparing himself for what could happen next.

"I am very, very disappointed with you. All of you. I specifically told you not to go to the party. What did you do? You all went to the party without my permission. I stayed up all night worrying myself sick. What would have happened if you were captured? Do you have any idea how scared I was last night? Scared that I could have lost all of you, never to get you back." Saringai stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts on what he could say next. His furious eyes fell on Leonardo.

"And what happened to you last night Leonardo? It's bad enough that I didn't know where you were, but your brothers didn't know either. You know, I thought you were responsible enough to simply tell someone where you're going. Well I guess I was wrong with that assumption. Give me your phone. It's a damn good thing that I made them waterproof!" Saringai ordered. Leonardo slowly took it out of his soggy pocket and handed it to the leopard. Saringai examined it. "It helps if you turn the mobile 'on', then I _might _have been able to contact you. That goes for the rest of you boys as well. What's the point of having a cell phone if it isn't turned 'on'! From now on I want you all to turn your phones on when you go outside, and if you are on stealth missions, then please put it on 'silent'." Saringai once again paused to gather his thoughts.

"Where were you last night Leonardo anyway?" Saringai asked, voice still firm, his eyes burning into the guilty teenage cheetah. Leonardo couldn't answer. What could he say? 'I'm sorry master, I left my brothers and sneaked back into Shere Khan's mansion so that I could flirt with a girl while standing in the middle of a thunderstorm. By the way, she's a servant of Shere Khan's. I think you'd like to meet her?' He couldn't say that! But he didn't want to lie. So he said nothing. This only pissed Saringai off further.

"Leonardo. You're grounded for a month. You're not even allowed to go outside unless you are given permission to go hunting, and that will be done under supervision," Saringai said sternly. His eyes fell on Michelangelo who had been sulking the whole time. "Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo,… you are dismissed. You are to go to your rooms and prepare for today's classes which should begin shortly." The three brothers quietly stood up and left to go to their respective rooms, leaving their leader behind. Michelangelo gulped nervously.

"Michelangelo, I understand why you went to the party. I know you're curious, and I'm perfectly fine with that. But you went without my permission, and what's worse is that you put your brothers in danger as well. Personally I thought that you would make an excellent leader. You're multitalented, creative, offer support, and you can lighten even the dullest moods. It's just that you lead your followers into danger. I hate to say this, but if you continue to be irresponsible then I'm afraid that you can't be the leader," Saringai analysed, using a softer tone. Tears quickly filled Michelangelo's eyes.

"Please don't take my leadership away from me Master… it's important to me… Please, whatever you do… just don't take it away from me. I promise I'll be more careful… I promise!" Michelangelo blabbered, his tears now falling down his cheeks. Saringai had never seen him this upset. He knew that Michelangelo was in tune with his emotions, but this seemed to really distress him.

"Michelangelo, personally, why do you want to be the leader?" Saringai asked softly.

"It… It was the one of the last things my mother said. She said, 'Now Mikie you're the eldest so you're gonna be in charge till I get back ok'. To me… leadership is like a gift from her… I don't want to fail her… I like being the leader… because… I guess it's her legacy to me… please… please don't take it away from me…," Michelangelo pleaded quite emotionally. What he said touched Saringai deeply. The boys rarely talked about their mother, if at all. Over the past year, he'd gathered from the little information that it was a very painful memory. What Michelangelo just said explained so many things to him.

"Is that why you don't like being called Mikie or Mike because that's what you're mother used to call you?" Saringai questioned softly. Michelangelo nodded with a sniffle. Saringai grabbed a tissue and handed it to his student. Michelangelo took it gratefully and blew his nose. 

"So… so what's my punishment?" The cheetah asked bravely. 

"Same as Leonardo's… but don't worry, you can remain the leader, just remember, don't lead them into danger ok?" Saringai advised. Michelangelo nodded, happy that he got off lightly considering what his original punishment was. Saringai gave a subtle smile. "Was the party good?" Saringai inquired.

"Yeah, it was fun."

"So what does it finally feel like to be busted?" Raphael asked Leo as they arrived back in their shared bedroom. 

"Truthfully, it was worth it." Leonardo admitted. He collapsed onto his bed, tired from sleep deprivation. 

"So what _did _you do last night?" Raphael asked. 

"Nothing much," Leonardo answered casually, knowing full well that Raphael was curious as hell. "What did you do?"

"Uh… me? Nothing much… yeah," Raphael answered unconvincingly. Both brothers smiled to themselves, both keeping secrets about the people they had met at the party. 

Author's Note: Yes, hexAdecimal, Ever After: A Cinderella Story is one of the movies, and you get 5 points (not that it really counts for anything, just some fun). Below is the quick character summary I promised you guys (note the word 'quick'). It's separated into Good, Evil and Neutral (they work for both sides). The ages are what the characters are now (chapter 15).

Good.

Michelangelo: (State Mutant)15 months old, Male cheetah, brother and leader of Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo (and obviously vice-versa), nunchaku is his weapon of choice. Donatello and him are identical twins.

Raphael: (State Mutant) 15 months old (second eldest of the brothers), male cheetah, weapon is the twin sai blades. Has a 'thing' for Rachel (along with almost every other guy).

Donatello: (State Mutant) 15 months old (third eldest), male cheetah, weapon is the bo. Has a flare for electronics.

Leonardo: (State Mutant) 15 months old (youngest), male cheetah, weapon is the twin katana swords. In love with Venus.

Saringai: (State Mutant (the master is counted as a State Mutant)) 6 years old, male leopard. Ninja master of the 4 cheetah brothers. Also has a flare for electronics. Weapon of choice is the bo. Friends with Zareb. 

Evil.

Shere Khan: (State Enemy) 9 years old, male Siberian tiger. Father of Sebastian. Weapon of choice is the twin sai blades. He's family has built an alliance with the mutant lions. Shere Khan is currently in charge (of just about everybody). His main goal now is to get the locals of Ikhaya Labantu to like him, so that they will not turn against him in years to come. He is quite fond of Rachel, hates the State Mutants and dislikes Vasha.

Sebastian: (State Enemy) 3 years old, male Siberian tiger. Son of Shere Khan. In love with Rachel, but has been ordered by his father to get Venus to love him (so his father can win the bet). 

Vasha: (State Enemy) 9 years old, female Siberian tigress. Mother of Kathryn. She's Shere Khan's 'advisor'. She hates the State Mutants, hates Shere Khan, hates…. she hates everybody. Has a bet going on with Shere Khan and will stop at nothing to see him fail. 

Kathryn: (State Enemy) 3 years old (though younger than Sebastian), female Siberian tigress. Daughter of Vasha. In love with Sebastian. Hates Rachel and dislikes Venus. Tries her best to please her demanding mother.

Galileo: 15 months old, male cheetah. Past unknown but somehow knows of Venus' past. Hates Rachel.

Neutral.

Venus: (State Mutant), 15 months old, female cheetah. Has lost most of her memory. Servant to Shere Khan. In love with Leonardo. Distrusts Sebastian and Galileo. Friends with Rachel. She's currently learning how to be a Shinobi. 

Rachel: 2 ½ years old, female black-backed jackal. Servant of Vasha. Secretly dislikes most guys, but has a 'thing' for Raphael. Friend of Venus. Knows some Shinobi spells. 

Zareb: 3 years old, male leopard cross lion. One of Shere Khan's advisors but also provides information to Saringai. Has a fantastic reputation with the locals because of what his father did for them. 

Others.

Keira: The cub's mother (Michelangelo, Raphael, etc). Female cheetah, was killed by Shere Khan's troops.

Zaila: Saringai's former girlfriend, but was killed by Shere Khan's troops.

Raifu: 6 years old, Saringai's brother. Male leopard. Weapon of choice is the twin sai blade.

Zareb's father: Male leopard, weapon of choice was the twin katana swords (which has now been given to Leonardo). Three years ago, Zareb's father created an army out of the locals of Ikhaya Labantu. Fighting alongside Saringai and Raifu, he led the army and attacked Shere Khan and his followers causing massive damage. Zareb's father was caught soon after and beheaded. The 'Book of Mutants' was stolen off the State Mutants after that. 

The word 'Ikhaya Labantu' translates to 'Home to people' in English (… I think). 


	16. The Ghost

Chapter 16: The Ghost.

"No! No trade! NO TRADE!!!" The female Mona monkey hooted and screeched, bouncing up and down while banging on her chest. She quickly picked up a pebble and threw it at Donatello. It hit him in the middle of his forehead. After that, Raphael and Donatello quickly backed away.

"Creepy little monkey…" Donatello muttered while he rubbed his forehead. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder if 'no' and 'trade' are the only words in those monkey's vocabularies," Donatello analysed. Raphael shrugged, unusually quiet. The two brothers were lucky. Unlike their other siblings, they weren't given any punishment, as they complained that they were only following Michael's orders. Since Michael and Leonardo were both grounded, Raphael was to accompany Donatello into Ikhaya Labantu, hoping to trade bows and arrows for the final electronic gadgets needed to build the long awaited solar-powered laptop. 

Donatello looked at the bows and arrows in Raphael's paws and sighed. They'd hoped that the male Mona monkey's sister would have been more of a help to them, but obviously she was not. "What are we going to do now? Shere Khan's stall is the only other place that trades electronic equipment!" Donatello groaned. A sly smile swept across Raphael's lips. Donatello could almost read his brother's mind. "Raph! No! Saringai said that we're not allowed!"

"Well… Saringai's not here now is he? And since Michael's not here, I'm in charge!" Raphael said almost evilly, his voice sounding a little off. 

"Huh? You're in charge? Since when has that been a rule?"

"Its always been a rule. Michelangelo's the oldest, so he's the leader. I'm the second eldest, so I'm second in line, then it's you, then Leonardo," Raphael said, rubbing it in. 

"Well… fine! But Master did still say that we're not allowed, and he'll punish us like the others if he ever found out!"

Raphael rolled his eyes, starting to get irritated. "Look, do ya want ya lap-thingy or not?" Donatello thought about it before finally giving into Raphael's bad influence. The two boys walked over to Shere Khan's stall, preparing themselves for whatever could happen next. A great big smile planted itself on Raphael's face when he saw who was in charge of the stall today.

Rachel and Venus were restocking the items for trade at Shere Khan's stall. Originally, Venus wasn't allowed to work at the stall, as Shere Khan feared that she would either run away or become friendly with one of his many enemies. That decision was soon changed, thanks to Rachel's charm and persuasiveness.

A lone cheetah, wearing a black bandanna and cargo shorts, approached the stall's tables. Rachel growled inwardly when she recognised him as Galileo. "Hello ladies. What a pleasant surprise", he said with a cynical tone. Both Rachel and Venus held a disgusted expression. Galileo focused his attention on Venus, causing her to feel uneasy. 

"Are you going to trade anything?" Rachel said quite rudely through her teeth.

Galileo kept his gaze on Venus. "I would like to trade actually. I asked your Master Shere Khan if I could own you. I'm well endowed, you see."

It was then when Raphael and Donatello walked up. They stood behind Galileo, patiently waiting to be served. Galileo gave the two brothers a quick look over, before returning his gaze on Venus. Galileo hadn't heard about the whole 'State Mutants' and 'State Enemies' thing, and frankly he didn't care who they were. Galileo was the master of himself, allied with no one. 

Venus looked at the two new comers behind Galileo. "We have people to serve. If you're not going to trade for anything you're actually going to get, then please step aside," Venus said boldly.

"Ok, I'll leave. But next time you see me, you'll be mine," Galileo threatened. He slipped away, over to the stall next door. He pretended to be looking at the objects on the tables, but really he was only there so he could still hear any talking from Shere Khan's stall. 

"Hello again Raphael," Rachel greeted warmly. Raphael blushed a little, then cleared his throat. He felt a little uneasy speaking to Rachel, especially with his little brother around. He didn't really want anyone in his family to know that he liked a female. After all, according to Michael, girls were gross and had cooties.

"Hi," Raphael muttered, his voice going funny again. Rachel just giggled. Donatello, still nervous about being at Shere Khan's stall, decided to step in, fast forwarding the awkward conversation. 

"Hi. Do you have any electronic equipment?"

"We do," Rachel answered. Venus searched through the boxes and neatly laid out all the electronic gadgets she could find onto the table. Donatello's mind went into hyper drive, searching through the complex objects, while his older brother flirted with the jackal. 

"Hey… Raphael…" Venus started, even though she hated to interrupt conversations. Raphael stopped talking to Rachel and looked at her. "Can you give a message to Leonardo?" Venus asked. Raphael nodded in response, his face showing that he didn't know how she knew him. "Ok then. Can you tell him for me, that I had a wonderful time at the party and that I would really like to see him again?"

'_So Leo! That's what you got up to at the party!… Well, at least I'm not the only one who sorta likes girls…'_ Raphael thought. "He is grounded right now… but I'll give him the message anyway," Raphael said, feeling generous. The girls grinned. By this time, Donatello had picked out the three gadgets that he needed. 

"Um… can I trade these bows and arrows for these three electronic gadgets please?" Donatello asked politely. 

"Are you serious? You're giving weapons to Shere Khan?" Rachel said, astonished. The two cheetahs looked at each other, then nodded at Rachel. The jackal sighed. "Here… take them, free of charge."

"Really?!? But won't Shere Khan be angry with you?" Raphael questioned, his voice going funny again. Rachel shook her head.

"No, he can't stay angry at me. Besides, if he asks, then I'll just say that you stole them. He hates you guys anyway, and he'll probably believe that story," Rachel explained cunningly, then giggled. The boys smiled and gratefully collected their long awaited mechanical parts. They said their good-byes and went on their way. 

"Who was she?" Donatello asked curiously. Raphael didn't answer, his cheeks beginning to blush. "I think she likes you," Donatello commented.

"Oh shut up…" Raphael said for the sake of saying something. They headed for home in silence.

"I told you he was cute…" Rachel gossiped to Venus when the boys were gone.

"Not as cute as Leonardo though," Venus said jokingly using a somewhat bragging tone. "… Is it just me, or is Raphael's voice breaking?"

"It makes him all the more cuter!" Rachel squealed, then giggled like a little schoolgirl. Venus smiled, rolling her eyes.

'_Leonardo, eh?' _Galileo had heard almost all of the conversation. He crept into the crowds of the bustling citizens of Ikhaya Labantu, keeping his new information to himself.

*****

Venus waltzed down the corridors of the mansion, heading towards her room. She stopped suddenly when she heard an unfamiliar noise coming from Sebastian's room. The noise was majestic and enticing, it's tune carried emotions with the melody. Venus curiously entered Sebastian's room slowly, and found him playing a violin. The tiger, sensing her, stopped his music and looked towards her.

"Don't stop… I thought it sounded great," Venus complimented.

"…Really? I thought you hated everything that I do," Sebastian commented, surprised that she actually liked something about him.

"It's impossible to hate everything," Venus replied.

"Heh, tell that one to Vasha," Sebastian joked. Venus gave him a slight smile.

"I didn't know that you could play an instrument."

"I don't play very often."

"Why not?"

"Because my father doesn't like it. He says that I should stop wasting my time and that I should focus on my ninjutsu studies instead. He told me that if I wanted to one day take his place as leader, then I have to work on my reputation. My father said that playing the violin makes me look like a wimp or a sissy, and that leaders have to be tough and mean. Reputation has got to be one of the most important things to my father, because it controls how your enemies perceive you. He told me that if I succeed in obtaining reputation that I want, then I could accomplish anything I want. Reputation is everything around here," Sebastian explained.

"If reputation is so important, then why do you still play the violin?" Venus asked curiously.

"Because I want to. I don't want to follow in my father's footsteps. I don't want to turn out like him; a tiger who spends most of his hours worrying about how others perceive him… But I do want to please him… It's hard. I want him to be proud of me for who I am," Sebastian said sadly. He'd never told anyone about this, and didn't really know why he was telling her. 

"Who are you?" Venus asked him.

"…I don't know… You told me that I was the guy who breaks girl's hearts. But truthfully,… I don't know who I am anymore…" Sebastian told her openly. 

"Why's that?"

"Because I can't win with you! You're the first girl I've failed on. No matter what I do, no matter what I say, you see right through it… and it drives me insane. Just tell me honestly, what did I do wrong?" Sebastian confessed. He'd given up on his father's request for him to get Venus to fall in love with him. He tried everyday, but failed every time. He was sick of playing games with her; he was sick of his own games. It bugged him day and night as to why he was failing, and now he just wanted to know why.

"True relationships aren't about lust and winning. They're about trust and companionship. That's where you went wrong. If you want someone to like you, then it's best to be honest and genuine from the start," Venus explained to him. She'd never seen Sebastian like this, and began to feel slightly sympathetic towards him. 

Sebastian nodded his head a little in understanding. "… Is that why Rachel doesn't like me as well?" Sebastian questioned her trustfully. Venus nodded slowly. "… Do you think it's too late for me to start over again with Rachel?"

"I don't know… it's all about reputation; whether you can change it or not," Venus told him. Sebastian sighed. She didn't know why she didn't simply say that Rachel would never date him. Maybe it was because she didn't want to shatter all of his hopes. Venus was relieved that Sebastian had finally given up on her. This meant that Sebastian would leave her alone, along with Kathryn. An idea popped into her head. "… What about Kathryn? She's nearly the same age, and she's also seems to be quite friendly around you," Venus suggested, hoping that she triggered something.

"Kathryn?" Sebastian thought about this. "…It would never work. Our parents wouldn't allow it, and besides, I see her too much as a sister," Sebastian confessed.

"Do you know if she feels the same way about you?"

"…No. But as I said, our parents will never allow it."

"You know who I think you are? I think you're the guy who doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, yet he contradicts himself by doing everything his father expects of him." After saying that, Venus vacated the room, leaving Sebastian with something to think about.

*****

It was a crystal clear night. The stars shone in the sky next to the glowing moon. The ground was damp from the day's downpour, the strong smell of rain in the air. An unusual figure stood perfectly still, taking in the natural smells that surrounded him. His ears twitched, his tail flicked. He breathed out quietly, his breath creating mist.

Not quietly enough it seemed. Michelangelo had been lying in his bed, listening to the stranger outside. His imagination ran wild as to what the creature could be. Being careful so he wouldn't wake up his twin brother, Michelangelo crept out of his bedroom and stealthily made his way outside. His heart boomed in his ribs, his nunchaku clinked as he moved. With his back against the tree, he peeked around to view the stranger. The moonlight illuminated the environment, creating a silhouette around the creature. Michelangelo's eyes widened in shock to see that the mysterious animal was… a zebra.

Michelangelo calmly moved from his position and walked a couple of paces away from the tree. The stallion didn't move. The zebra looked Michelangelo straight in the eye from where he was standing, as though he was staring him down. This surprised Michelangelo, as most wild animals would be wary of a carnivorous feline, especially one that stood on two feet. What surprised the cheetah even further was the simple fact that the animal was a zebra. Zebras didn't live in Lesotho, and if they did, they would live in a herd. This stallion was clearly alone.

Michelangelo carefully approached the magnificent wild animal, wondering how bold or how tame this zebra was. All of a sudden the zebra reared up, its short mane glinting in the moonlight. Michelangelo backed up a little, scared that he would be trampled. The zebra lowered itself, then flicked around and darted off into the night, disappearing like a ghost. Michelangelo stood where he was for a moment, startled with what had just happened. When he had recovered, he walked over to where the zebra had stood only to find no trace of his existence. 

"His name is Kuthixo, which means 'In the eyes of God'". Michelangelo jumped out of his skin upon hearing the voice of his master. Saringai smiled at his student's reaction and leapt down from the tree branch he was hiding in. "He's a local myth around here. Some say he's alive while others say that he's a ghost horse. Personally, I just think that he's clever."

"Don't scare me like that!" Michelangelo said, still a little shaken by Saringai's sudden appearance. Saringai just gave an uncharacteristic grin in response. "You enjoy creeping around in the dark and scaring the living daylights out of people don't you?" Michelangelo wailed and complained.

"Leopard's are nocturnal. It's what I do best," Saringai answered his distressed student modestly.

"Then how come you're awake during the day?"

"Because I have to teach you."

"So when do you sleep?"

"… I don't," Saringai muttered under his breath. "Actually, the real reason I'm awake tonight is because Leonardo has ran off."

"Again?!?" Michelangelo blurted out. A few days had passed since the boys went to the party, and during that time Leonardo had been skipping classes and kept running off during the night. Saringai had asked him many times as to where he kept going to, but Leonardo never said a word. Several times Saringai had tried to follow him, but couldn't keep up when Leonardo ran at his top speed.

"Do you know where he runs off to?" Saringai asked. He was greatly concerned about his student's sudden and dramatic change of behaviour. Michelangelo shrugged.

"Dunno. Raphael might know, but he's been really quiet lately," Michelangelo observed. 

"I've noticed that too. You know your brothers well," Saringai complimented. Michelangelo smiled. The cheetah looked up and admired the thousands of stars that painted the sky.

"There's so many!" Michelangelo commented.

"You know, many, many years ago, the stars helped to guide people when they were lost. They're your compasses in the sky. Don't forget that."

"Can you teach me how to use the stars as a guide?" Michelangelo asked. Saringai nodded. 

"I was planning to. The stars are your best friends at night. Everything in nature can help you in some way, if you're willing to listen and learn from it."

"How can nature help you?" Curiosity brewed in Michelangelo. Saringai took one of Michael's nunchaku from his belt.

"Notice how the moonlight shines on the metal chain…" Saringai began to twirl it. "…Now tell me, can you see it?" As the moonlight shimmered on the metal, some of the beams of light reflected off straight into the cheetah's eyes causing him to squint. To Michelangelo, the nunchaku was a glistening blur of silver; the reflecting light made the weapon difficult to see correctly. "See what I mean? If you twirl the nunchaku at the correct angle, then you can get the light from the moon to reflect into your opponent's eyes. It also works with sunlight". 

"Cool," Michelangelo exclaimed. Saringai handed his nunchaku back. "Can you teach me all of these little tricks?"

"These 'tricks' cannot be taught. You already know this; you just haven't discovered it yet."

"Why can't they be taught? How did you discover it?"

"By watching Kuthixo. That zebra is as wild and as free as they come. He's completely in tune with nature. Kuthixo comes around every once in a while, and when he does, I make a note in studying him; his movements, his habits. He was the one who showed me how to tap into my own wild instincts, how to use the environment to my advantage. And hopefully, being in tune with nature will be one of our advantages over Shere Khan. The fact that you were able to hear Kuthixo in the first place means that you already have a good relationship with the environment," Saringai said.

"So Kuthixo showed you then?" The cheetah asked. Saringai nodded.

"It'll do you good to learn from Kuthixo. If you're lucky, he might be able to show how to move stealthily," Saringai suggested.

"What's wrong with my stealth?" Michelangelo questioned, a little offended.

"You're nunchaku's make clinking noises when you move. I could hear you a mile away," Saringai commented. The cheetah pouted in response. "Come on back inside. It's late. Besides, you're grounded. Don't forget that."

"How could I?" Michelangelo answered rhetorically. The leopard and cheetah walked through the moonlit darkness, back to the comfort of their beds.

Author's Note: *Applauds Red Turtle* I was wondering when someone was going to question Leo and Venus' relation. Are Leonardo and Venus siblings? You shall have to wait and see. As for the story's description; the description summarises the whole story. Yes, the TMNT are going to be in the story, just that we haven't reached them yet. As the summary says, it will be a long story… and it will be a long, long time till we reach the turtles. In my mind, I've divided the story up into three parts. We are currently in Part 1. The characters will meet the turtles in Part 2. I've been wondering whether I should divide the story into three separate fanfics, but I don't want people to be sneaky and read Part 2 first. 

As for crossovers, the Jungle Book and Aladdin are what I call 'one liners'. The line from Aladdin in Chapter 15 will be the only reference to it in the whole fic, and with the Jungle Book, I'm only using the name 'Shere Khan' from it. Currently the story is loosely following a combination of three different movies, one of them being Ever After. To make it fun, I'll give you guys a hint as to what one of the movies is (this isn't the other one in Chapter 15). What movie is about a bet made between two characters called Sebastian and Kathryn?… And you get ten points if you get it correct :o) … Not that it counts towards anything!


	17. Friday Night

Chapter 17: Friday Night.

"The locals were quite impressed with that party that you threw last week," Zareb commented to Shere Khan at their weekly meeting.

"What party?"

"You know, the costume party where you invited everyone in Ikhaya Labantu," Zareb explained. Shere Khan tried to remember, but to him the party was a complete blur.

"…I got drunk didn't I?"

"Yep." Zareb answered with a smile on his face. Shere Khan groaned. It was quite common these days. To Shere Khan, one drink simply doesn't mean 'one drink'. Shere Khan sighed, then remembered his original purpose of this meeting with Zareb.

"The party went well though?"

"Yeah, everyone had a great time."

"Well… as you know, my birthday's coming up, and I was thinking of throwing a party. Do you think the locals would like to be invited?" Shere Khan inquired. Zareb thought about this. 

"…Will they have to bring gifts?"

"…Only if they want to," Shere Khan answered feeling super generous today.

"Then I'm sure it will be no problem. When's the party?"

"Um… Make it in three night's time… Friday night. That should be plenty of time for us to set everything up."

"Friday night it is then," Zareb concluded.

*****

Saringai looked at his three students before him and frowned. Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello stood in a line, holding a fighting stance. Leonardo wasn't present for yet another class. This increasing trend of Leonardo's to skip lessons worried the leopard greatly. The very thought of Leonardo finding something more important than ninjitsu was disturbing.

"Looks like Leonardo isn't here", Saringai stated the obvious. "Raphael, do you know where your brother goes?" The adult asked, trying to sound less worried than he actually was. The cheetah shrugged, not saying a word. Saringai didn't push on even though he knew that Raphael knew where Leonardo was. So instead, he turned his attention to Donatello. "Do you know Donatello?"

"I think he's got a girlfriend." Donatello didn't like to tattletale as it could lead into conflict later on. But this, he felt, was an exception as his Master needed reassurance that his student was fine; to give his Master's worrying some closure. 

"Girlfriend?" Saringai hadn't expected that.

"Eew, gross!" Michelangelo immaturely blurted out. Both Saringai and Raphael gave him a look. 

"… Donatello, do you happen to know her name?" Saringai questioned as he wondered whom on earth Leonardo was dating. Donatello shrugged. Saringai sighed. At least he found some answers. He'd have to talk to his youngest student when he finally comes home, allowing him to fill in the rest of the puzzle. No Leonardo or not, Saringai still had to educate his more obedient students. "Ok, today I want you to practice your weapon katas. Raphael, I want to see focus this time."

*****

"Check."

"Dammit! How do you keep checking me?" Rachel wailed as she moved her king chess piece again. Leonardo just gave a slight smile, not answering her question. Venus looked onwards from her seat on the bed. Leonardo visited her frequently now, nearly every day. The two of them would spend hours talking in Venus' room. She didn't question how Leo sneaked into the mansion or what he was supposed to be doing back at home. She didn't really care about those things, and neither did Leonardo. As long as they were together, nothing else seemed to matter. Rachel didn't care either, as long as she received more information about Raphael from Leonardo. 

"I told you he'd be good at this game!" Venus commented. 

"Yeah, but… I just taught him how to play! No one's supposed to be this good first time round!" Rachel complained, then pouted. Leonardo couldn't help but laugh. Rachel picked up a pawn piece that she took from Leo earlier, and threw it at him. He ducked the flying object expertly, causing the pawn to collide with Venus' bedroom wall instead. Venus looked at the chessboard.

"Ooh! I know!" Venus whispered something in Rachel's ear.

"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway? This is after all my first game you know," Leonardo said.

"Yeah, I know. And Rachel needs all the help she can get!" Venus joked. Rachel threw a pawn piece at her.

"So…" Rachel said, starting to change the conversation. "… Tell me more about Raphael."

"Um… his weapon of choice is the sai…" Leonardo said without much thought, his mind focused on the game.

"Wow… he must look so cute with those!" Rachel fantasized. Leonardo gave her a weird look.

"…I don't think I'd use the word 'cute' to describe someone like Raph," Leonardo hinted.

"Oh, you're only saying that because you're his brother," Rachel analysed.

"You have no idea…" Leonardo mumbled under his breath. Rachel heard him.

"No idea about what?"

"Uh… you have no idea … what I'm about to do," Leonardo covered up. He moved his castle piece forward two squares, making his final move. "Checkmate!" Leonardo grinned at Rachel. The jackal inspected the chessboard. 

"Oh poo!" Rachel said childishly. She sighed and stood up off the floor. "Well, I guess I should go and do my chores… and leave you two _alone_," Rachel announced, winking.

"Nothing happens!" Venus and Leonardo said at the same time. Rachel giggled.

"Suuurrreee! _Nothing_ happens!" Rachel said, winking again. Venus gave her a look. "Alright! I'm leaving. C'ya later Leo."

"C'ya," Leonardo farewelled as Rachel walked out the door. He looked at the chessboard that lay before him on the floor. "Wanna play?" Leonardo asked Venus. She shook her head in reply.

"Not really. I always lose to Rachel, which means I won't stand a chance against you," Venus explained. Leonardo smiled and began to pack away the game along with Venus' help. 

"Has Rachel got a crush on my brother?" Leonardo questioned as he picked up the final chess piece to put away. Venus smiled.

"I thought that part was obvious."

"… But …Raphael?!?" Leonardo exclaimed. He gave Venus a weird face. 

"As Rachel said, you're only saying that because you're his brother. He can't possibly be _that_ bad," Venus said.

"But that's the thing. He's got that bad boy persona… and Rachel's one of the nicest people I know. I mean, Raph is late for class, he goes and does whatever he wants without permission, he's stubborn and takes terrifying risks," Leonardo explained.

"Sounds like you," Venus analysed. Leonardo stopped in his tracks and thought about what he'd just said. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Leonardo remembered the days when he was extra early for every class, and when he'd practice one technique until he thought it was perfected. He remembered the person that he used to be, then begun to think of the new habits that have created the person he was today. In some aspects, his behaviour was now indifferent to his older brother, Raphael. In fact, when he thought about it even further, he was _worse_ than Raphael was. "You see, I understand why Rachel likes Raphael, because to me, he sounds just like you in so many ways. Rachel's interest in Raphael is almost the same as my interest in you," Venus compared. 

'_I am Raphael!_' Leonardo thought to himself. '_Do I honestly hate this new lifestyle? Do I hate the person I've become?… No… Come to think of it, I've never been this happy in all my life! My mind is so clear now… Before, I was so focused on my studies that I forgot what true living is all about…Love. It isn't blind. It frees you…It freed me_'. "I love you," Leonardo said without thinking. Even though the words slipped out, he truly meant it from the depths of his soul. He at first thought that his affection towards Venus might have been what was called 'puppy love', but now he realised that this was instead true love; the type that could break and see through some of the strongest barriers.

"I love you too," Venus answered with all of her heart. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They passionately kissed each other, allowing their tongues to explore. When they finally broke apart, Venus rested her head on Leo's shoulder and stared at her balcony's view of the blazing sunset. "Come to the party on Friday night," Venus sighed.

"What party?" Leonardo asked softly.

"Shere Khan's having a birthday party on Friday night. It was announced this morning," Venus explained soothingly.

"Really? How old is he turning?"

"He's gonna be ten years old," Venus said while playing with his blue bandanna tails.

"That's pretty old," Leo pointed out. Venus agreed with a small giggle. "I'll be there at the party," Leo promised.

"And Raphael?" Venus questioned, thinking of Rachel.

"Mmmm… I'll have to see about that…"

*****

The zebra stared at the cheetah clothed in orange that stood confidently before him. The fiery orb of energy in the sky quietly began to settle in the west. Long shadows were cast over the land, making things seem longer and larger than what they actually were. The two animals stood beneath the trees that the mutants had made their home. Michelangelo stared back at Kuthixo, determined not to become frightened this time, unlike the other night when they first met.

Both breathed so they were soft and unheard. Both stood as still as rock. "_Follow me_," Kuthixo whinnied in animal talk. Michelangelo was surprised that he could understand the zebra. When it came to speaking with wild animals, he was used to the speaking the feline language; and it was sometimes difficult to translate other dialects of animal talk. 

Kuthixo flicked his head, gesturing the cheetah to come. The stallion whipped off, his legs seemed to glide across the rocky, moist earth that made up the country of Lesotho. Michelangelo did what he was told and followed, running on all fours behind the zebra. Kuthixo suddenly slowed down his pace to a canter, as if he was trying to show the cheetah something. Michelangelo slowed down as well but didn't take any notice as to why.

"_The grass,_" the stallion whispered. The cheetah looked puzzled, then looked at Kuthixo's hooves. Kuthixo delicately cantered on the grassy sections of the ground. The blades of grass sprang back up after his step, leaving no trace of his footprints. Michelangelo got the idea and did the same, ever so lightly treading on the grassy ground as he jogged. Kuthixo neighed in satisfaction. 

The sun was only just peeping over the horizon and the stars were waking up when Kuthixo and his new student reached their destination. The two of them stood at the edge of a steep cliff, the wind busily swept through their furs. Michelangelo looked around while he tried to catch his breath. Apart from the chill factor, it really was a beautiful spot. Michelangelo watched the large river beside him topple gracefully over the edge of the cliff, creating a magnificent waterfall. The cheetah looked with awe at the amount of mist that was created from the falling water. That's when he noticed something. A small traditional village thrived at the bottom around the waterfall's base. He watched as the strange creatures gathered, finishing off their harvesting, while others prepared for the night's celebration.

__

'Humans', Michelangelo thought to himself. Saringai had warned him about these animals. The cheetah never did quite understand why they were so dangerous. He had never met one up close, so there was no reason to fear them as of yet. Michelangelo never grasped how different he was to the rest of the world. He grew up with mutants in a hidden mutant society, therefore never knew what the outside world was like. "Why did you take me here?" Michelangelo asked curiously in animal talk.

"_To show you our limitations. We are not free, cheetah. We are only free until we bump into them… humans. But if you are free in your spirit, then you can never be caught._"

*****

It was nighttime when Leonardo came back home from his visit at Venus'. Of course, once again, Saringai gave him another lecture on how to turn a cell phone on. Saringai questioned him about his girlfriend, but Leonardo didn't give any new information to his Master because he feared what the consequences would be for dating one of Shere Khan's servants. 

Leonardo sighed and entered his shared bedroom, only to find Raphael sitting on his bed, unusually quiet. Leonardo sat down opposite to his older brother and looked at him. The two stared at each other, neither saying a word. It was Raphael who finally cracked.

"Ok Leo, how the hell did you survive this thing!" Raphael groaned. It was obvious that his voice was breaking.

"So that's why you've been so quiet!" Leonardo concluded.

"I hate this. My voice sounds so stupid! Michael will tease me for sure… and I'd be called the names we called you…" Raphael complained.

"Now you know how I felt," Leonardo said. "Just remember that everyone has to go through this… and if Michael teases you, then you can help me get revenge!" Leonardo said almost evilly. Raphael smiled at the thought that Michael will have to go through this too… sometime. 

"So how long did you… you know…"

"One week. But that could be just me."

"Shit."

"What?"

"I've still got three more days of this friggin' crap voice," Raphael croaked, angry with his own body. Leonardo smiled at this comment.

"Hey, you've only got a weird voice. Just wait till you get the wet dreams."

"Wet dreams?… Oh now you're just trying to scare me!" Raphael said, his voice fluctuating again. Leo could only shake his head and smile at Raphael's stubbornness. Suddenly Michelangelo flew into the room, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"…Has… Master asked… about where… I was?" Michael panted. His two younger brothers looked at him weirdly and shook their heads. "…Good…"

"Why? What have you done?" Leonardo asked.

"It's just that… you know how we've been grounded?… Yeah, well anyway… I just went for… a little afternoon run… Didn't want to… get busted… that's all," Michael panted, telling a little white lie.

"Well, luckily for you, Saringai went out hunting after he spoke to me," Leonardo informed.

"That's right! You've been going out with a girl. You've got cooties!" Michael burst out immaturely. Leonardo couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Michael, girls don't have cooties," Raphael croaked, beginning to get irritated with Michelangelo's whole 'cootie' phase. 

Michael's ears pricked at the sound of Raphael's voice. A sly grin formed on his face. Within moments Michelangelo was in a fit of laughter. Raphael angrily stood up and kicked Michael square in the groin. There was a moment's silence before Michelangelo dropped to the floor in absolute agony. Leonardo and Raphael grinned to each other before Raph sat back down on his bed.

"So what's her name anyway?" Raphael asked. Venus didn't introduce herself when he met her at Ikhaya Labantu. When Raphael delivered her message to Leo, he simply said that some chick wanted to see him, and Leonardo immediately knew whom he was talking about.

"Her name's Venus," Leonardo said softly, thinking about her as he mentioned her name.

"So, when are you going to see her again?"

"Why? Does it bother you?" Leonardo questioned.

"Well… yeah it does. Leo, you've been missing a LOT of classes lately. Yesterday in sparring we all whooped your ass… including Donatello! I just… I dunno… don't you think you're spending a little too much time with her? I mean… you, Leonardo, is missing class for God's sake! And I hate to say it, but it's beginning to show," Raphael debated.

"Raphael, I remember when you told me that there were more things to life than taking class," Leonardo commented.

"Really? When did I say that?"

"Right before you complained about being a horse," Leonardo said, which caused Raphael to respond with a weird look. "There's just something about her… She's my life now, you know… I'm too committed to her, I can't just stop seeing her. This is going to sound weird but… I really don't know how I lived without her…" Leonardo opened up.

"Oh my goodness. You're twitterpated!" Michelangelo called out; jumping up from the floor now fully recovered from his 'friendly' encounter with Raphael.

"Are you still here?!" Raphael exclaimed.

"Twitterpated?" Leo said, confused.

"Yeah, twitterpated. I saw it on 'Bambi'. It's about how girls make you lose your head," Michelangelo explained.

"When did you see 'Bambi'? How did you watch 'Bambi'? We don't own a television!" Leonardo questioned.

"Yeah, but Shere Khan owns one."

"Isn't 'Bambi' the story about a deer or something lame like that?" Raphael asked.

"Shere Khan owns 'Bambi'?" Leonardo thought out loud.

"That's beside the point. The point is, you're twitterpated! This girl has taken over you, controlling your life and your every move. You trust her with your life…she's got you right where she wants you. Then, when you're not looking… she'll give you her cooties!" Michelangelo said as if he was telling a ghost story.

"Shere Khan owns 'Bambi'?" Leonardo repeated, not listening to any of Michelangelo's nonsense. Michael frowned.

"So when are you seeing Venus again?" Raphael asked once again.

"I know that I'm definitely seeing her on Friday night."

"What's on Friday?" Raphael questioned. Michelangelo quietly sniggered to himself after hearing Raphael's voice. His sniggering stopped suddenly when Raphael gave him a hard glare.

"Shere Khan's birthday party. He's invited all of the locals. Want to come?" Leonardo offered.

"Uh-uh. Are you crazy? You're still grounded from the first party we went to… not that you've taken any notice to Saringai's punishment!" Raphael said with his limited amount common sense and responsibility.

"Rachel will be there…" Leonardo coaxed. 

"How do you know about Rachel?" Raphael asked, slightly blushing.

"Who's Rachel?!" Michelangelo interrupted, seeing that he was being left out of the conversation.

"Rachel's Venus' best friend. I see her just about everyday. She talks about you non stop!" Leonardo explained to Raphael, trying to ignore Michelangelo's presence. 

"…Really?… What does she say about me?" Raphael said worriedly.

"She says that you're cute," Leonardo said with a smirk on his face.

"CUTE!" Raphael cried out. 

"Yeah, that's how I reacted," Leonardo admitted. "So… are you going to come?"

"Yeah, alright," Raphael murmured, failing to hide the fact that he was only going because of Rachel. 

"Guys, you can't go… Saringai will be really, really angry," Michelangelo said, thinking about how he almost lost his leadership because of his lack of responsibility. Deep down, he really wanted to go. It was a party after all. 

"Does it look like we really care about Saringai being angry?" Raphael said rudely. 

"Fine! Go then… But I'm coming too! I'm not about to let you two have all the fun… But you better not say that you were following my orders again. This is your idea, not mine," Michelangelo said. Leonardo and Raphael nodded in agreement. "Shouldn't Master be back from hunting by now. I'm getting really hungry," Michelangelo whined. A sound was heard coming from the dining room. "Master is that you?" Michelangelo called out; thinking that Saringai had created the noise.

"No. It's just me," Donatello replied from the other room.

"Oh…" Michelangelo said with disappointment.

"Gees, can't you look just a little more happy to see me," Donatello said, a little offended by Michael's reaction. He walked into Raphael and Leonardo's bedroom wondering why everyone was gathered.

"Hey Donatello, we're all going to Shere Khan's birthday party on Friday night," Leonardo informed him.

"Wait a second. Just because you three decide to do something, I have to go along for the ride?" Donatello asked. His three brothers looked at each other, then turned to look at him and nodded in unison.

"Oh come on Don, do it for me…" Leonardo said using a softer tone, remembering what Donatello had said to him last time they were in this situation. All eyes focused on Donatello, slowly placing the pressure on him. Donatello groaned and reluctantly agreed to go. His brothers smiled with accomplishment.

*****

__

Friday night…

The sky groaned as dark clouds shadowed the earth. The four male cheetahs crouched behind the many shrubs that filled Shere Khan's garden. This time, the front gates were heavily guarded. It wasn't a costume party so, unlike last time, the cheetahs couldn't wear a disguise of any sort. The boys put all their ninjitsu skills to practice as they stealthily sneaked over towards the mansion. When they were close enough, they separated and agreed to meet back at the spot every half-hour.

Cautiously, Leonardo entered the fortress. The set up was similar to that of the costume party. Like last time, a band played the music while the guests danced, twirled and gossiped in the centre of the room. The buffet table was in the same spot, but more luxurious food were placed on top and table and chairs were set up for people to sit down and eat. Streamers and balloons were strung across the ceiling, giving the party more of a birthday atmosphere. 

Leonardo looked nervously around. He felt a little more vulnerable this time. There was a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Venus smiling innocently at him. "Looks like you kept your promise after all," Venus admired.

"Of course I did. I even brought Raphael along," Leonardo said, slightly boasting, then gave Venus a 'hello' peck on the cheek. Venus smiled and took Leonardo's paw and lead him back outside. "Why are we outside?" Leonardo asked her softly.

"I wanted to have a private dance. Just you and me," Venus sweetly enticed. Even though they were outside, the music could be easily heard. Leonardo graciously accepted the offer. He placed his hands around her waist while she placed hers around his neck. They couldn't help but stare into each other's eyes. Their bodies were so close as they danced, that it was instinctive that they kissed. Leonardo's hands changed position as he slid them over the back of Venus' pale green tank top, letting one rest on the small of her back, the other rested just below her neck. It wasn't long until the movement of the feet stopped, turning the dance into just a kiss. A single, slow steady clapping abruptly started in the background.

The lovers broke apart to see who was clapping. It was Vasha. Shere Khan, Sebastian, Kathryn, Galileo and some of the army and locals stood behind the tigress. Shere Khan's expression was strong and firm. It was Galileo who had first spotted the couple and didn't hesitate to report the event to Vasha and Shere Khan. Leonardo and Venus were too preoccupied to even notice their viewers as they slowly came outside see if Galileo was telling the truth. The two cheetahs now stood there startled, frozen in their place not knowing what to do next. Leonardo tried to think, but only swear words that he had learnt off Raphael came to mind. Shere Khan raised his right paw and his troops ran forward and surrounded them.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A servant and an enemy sitting in a tree. K. I. S. S. I. N. G!" Vasha said evilly, slowly articulating every syllable with a dead yet violent tone. 

A lion approached his Master. "Shere Khan. We have captured two of the cheetahs," he said as he bowed down. The lion performed a signal and Raphael and Donatello were brought over, both were struggling in the arms of Shere Khan's troops. Shere Khan smiled evilly. Four soldiers stepped towards Leonardo and Venus and grabbed them. Shere Khan took his whip off Sebastian and approached the struggling Leonardo. 

"Don't you know that the penalty for dating a servant, without asking for the owner's permission, is fifty lashes?" Shere Khan asked Leonardo rhetorically, with cruel intentions in his voice. The two tigers holding the male cheetah, turned Leonardo around so that his back was facing Shere Khan. Shere Khan unraveled his whip in preparation. He was going to enjoy this. Leonardo bit his lip, awaiting the sting of the leather. Whip in hand, Shere Khan reared his arm back. Venus struggled out of her captor's grasp and scampered to shield Leonardo's body. The whip came down hard and fast, and ripped across her back. Venus gasped in pain as her back stung like a thousand wasps. Her legs gave into the pain and she collapsed to the ground.

Shere Khan stood where he was, stunned at what had just happened. Shocked, the two tigers loosened their grip on Leonardo. Leo wriggled out of their hold and leant down to comfort Venus, resting her head on his thighs. A thin trail of blood trickled down her back as tears of pain swelled in her eyes. Anger rushed like a tidal wave over Leonardo. "_How could you,_" Leo growled through clenched teeth. If looks could kill, Shere Khan would have been dead by now. Rachel, who had only just found out what was going on, rushed over to Venus. Seeing that Venus was in good hands, Leonardo stood up and drew his twin katanas, glaring daggers at Shere Khan.

Shere Khan's troops stepped forward but the tiger called them off. This was going to be between just Leonardo and him. Shere Khan threw the whip aside and started to reach for his sais in his belt, but then thought of a better idea. "Hand me a sword. I'll only need one," Shere Khan ordered. One of his soldiers stepped forward and offered him the weapon hilt first.

Leonardo and Shere Khan started to circle around each other, both sizing the opponent up. Leo growled menacingly, letting the anger take complete control. He lunged and slashed wildly at Shere Khan who expertly blocked every swipe. Shere Khan had read the 'Book of Mutants' and knew that Leonardo's never fought like this. '_Must of touched a very sore spot for him to be pissed off THIS much_,' Shere Khan thought. 

A sneer came across Shere Khan's face as he changed his fighting style from defensive to offensive. Leonardo was ten times faster, but Shere Khan was ten times stronger. Shere Khan slashed powerfully and Leonardo managed to block every one, but not as easily as he'd hoped. Every time the swords clashed, Leonardo's arms had to frequently give in a fair bit to completely stop Shere Khan's mighty blows from getting any closer to his body. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Leonardo was quickly tiring and didn't know how much longer he could hold off the tiger's strong attacks. It wasn't long till Leonardo had to resort to using both of his katana to defend from Shere Khan's onslaught. This made Leonardo furious. 

Leonardo roared and used all of his might to slash at Shere Khan's weapon. The tiger lost his grip and the sword flew up into the air, spinning dangerously. Lightning was seen in the grey clouds as both Leonardo and Shere Khan watched the sword come back down to earth. It landed heavily; it's blade dug into the ground, making the single sword stand upright. Without a moment to lose, Shere Khan ran for the weapon and grabbed his standing sword by the hilt. 

Leonardo aggressively charged after him, katanas extended preparing to injure. Their weapons clashed yet again, causing Leonardo to lose one of his swords. Leo quickly dove after it, fully equipping himself again. Shere Khan raised his arm then swiped down. Leonardo managed to block Shere Khan's weapon inches away from his head with one of his katanas. With his spare katana, Leonardo tried to stab the tiger's torso, but Shere Khan managed to yank his sword down in time to obstruct the attack. Leonardo recovered from the block quickly and aimed for the tiger's neck. The attack was stopped yet again by the clashing of metal. Shere Khan put pressure onto his weapon and gave Leonardo a push backwards, creating some distance between them. Then something unexpected occurred.

Shere Khan extended his paw. Strange, glowing energy built up in his palm. Leonardo charged forward yet again. Shere Khan released the chi energy as a powerful blast. Leonardo flew backwards from the direct hit. Pain filled the cheetah's body, but determination and anger continued to flow through and Leonardo tried to get up again. Leo slowly got into a kneeling position and looked at his opponent. His eyes opened in fear as Shere Khan stood over him. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Shere Khan raised his sword dramatically into the air. He swung the sword downwards. The sharp metal blade came into contact with the cheetah… when Shere Khan cut across Leonardo's face. 

Author's Note: As you might have noticed, it's been a while since I've updated this story. It might be a few weeks till the next chapter is posted due to my current bombardment of homework, tests, assignments yada, yada, yada. Thanks to all the people who have reviewed… and don't worry, Bambi won't be mentioned again (hopefully). If this fight scene is familiar to you, then that's because it was inspired by an intro to a Playstation game ;o) Know which one? And yes, the answer to last chapter's question was Cruel Intentions :o)


	18. Complete Commitment

Chapter 18: Complete Commitment. 

A spray of blood splattered on the floor as Shere Khan cut across Leonardo's face. The cheetah hissed inwardly as the sharp burning pain spread across his face. It took him a few moments to realise that he was still alive. The cut had been a tease; the tiger could have killed him if he had wanted to. Shere Khan was fascinated with Leo's unusual fighting style and wanted to see how angry Leonardo could become. He got his answer.

Enraged, Leonardo suddenly sprung up, and, with an upward slash, he cut across Shere Khan's face just like the tiger had done to him. There was silence. The only noise was Leonardo's angered breath as he watched the tiger. Shere Khan's paw raised slowly to his face, touching where he was struck. He then looked at his blood on his fingers. The tiger growled and signaled his troops to attack the offender. It was time for Michelangelo to make his move.

Michelangelo had been standing unnoticed in the shadows for nearly the whole time. The wind flapped at his orange bandanna tails. He looked up at the sky. He knew it was going to rain shortly, and that when it does, it will be in their favour. Only Leonardo and him were currently free to fight, and his youngest brother was already exhausted. First of all, he needed to help Raphael and Donatello.

He rushed over to Raphael's captor and knocked him out cold with a nunchuck. Raphael swiftly reclaimed his weapons from the fallen soldier while Michael helped to free Donatello. All three quickly came to Leo's aide and started to fight. The sky groaned as lightening whipped across. The rain began to fall. This was what Michael had been waiting for. The downpour masked all of Michael's whispered commands and hid all of the cheetah's tracks, as they disappeared like ghosts into the heavy mist that was quickly created from the rebounded water and the cool atmosphere. "Where are they? Where'd they go?" Shere Khan roared into the nothingness where his enemies once stood.

The cheetahs swiftly ran through the mansion's main entrance, and continued to run through the village. But Leonardo stopped soon after and turned to look back from where he came. His brothers noticed this and stopped running as well. 

"You're going back for her aren't you?" Donatello asked quietly as the rain seemed to ease up a bit.

"I have to. I can't leave her like this."

"But you're too tired to fight. If any of the guards find you then-"

"Michael, let him go. He knows what he's doing," Raphael interrupted.

Leonardo looked to his roommate and gave a small smile. "Thanks Raph," he said softly.

"Yeah, well, I'm not helping you deal with Saringai when you get back," Raph responded, arms crossed. Leo gave another smile and a nod before he headed back to Shere Khan's fortress. 

Rachel was cleaning Venus' wound when Leonardo made it to her room. When Rachel saw him, she smiled and left the room, leaving them alone. Leo quickly took Rachel's place, wiping the dried blood away from Venus, who at the time was lying face down on her bed. "You came back," Venus admired.

"I had to… I wanted to thank you for what you did. You know, jumping in front of the whip. Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't bare to look at you like that; utterly defenseless. I didn't want Shere Khan to have the pleasure of hurting you that way," Venus answered softly.

There was a brief silence. Venus sat up and inspected Leonardo's facial injury. She removed his blood stained bandanna to see it more clearly. The cut started above Leo's right eye, then went down across the bridge of his nose before finishing underneath his left eye. "How bad is it?" Leo asked. 

"It doesn't look too deep, but it looks like it'll leave a scar. At least it's stopped bleeding," Venus informed. She noticed a few other smaller cuts on Leo's shoulders and arms, and quickly patched them up using the bandages that was in the first aid kit on her bed. Leo didn't hesitate to return the favour, but couldn't fix up much of her wound as her tank top still covered most of it.

"Um… you're going to have to um…" Leo didn't know how to word this. "Uh… take you're, well… top… off," Leo stuttered. Venus couldn't help but smile at Leo's innocent request. She felt safe with Leo and trusted him with all of her life. She loved him, and he loved her. She wanted to give him the most important thing a person could give another. Herself. The tank top wasn't the only thing she took off...

*****

Venus smiled when she found that Leo was still with her at dawn, sleeping peacefully beside her. She shifted a little, causing Leonardo to stir from his sleep. "Good morning," Venus whispered. Leo smiled.

"Morning," he greeted before he gently kissed Venus on the cheek. He looked at the rays of the rising sun that glittered through the balcony curtain. "I should be going," Leo said softly, thinking of his worrying brothers. 

"Don't go. It's not morning just yet," Venus childishly complained. Leo grinned.

"Yes it is," Leo played along.

"No it's not. I wouldn't consider this morning just yet."

"Alright. I'll stay here a little longer, just for you," he said softly, then kissed her on the lips. "Will you come back home with me?"

"You know I can't," Venus said sadly.

"Marry me then, so then you'll truly be with me wherever I go," Leo proposed. Venus couldn't help but smile.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Venus answered excitedly, licking him on the cheek; a cheetah's way of showing affection. She went thoughtful for a moment. "Leo? What's your surname?"

Leo thought for a while. "Don't know. But I'll probably use Saringai's. But I don't know his either. I'll find out for you." 

"I'd like that," Venus said. She sighed and rested her head on Leo's chest.

*****

"So Leonardo is dating Venus?! How come I'm always the last one to find out about these things?" Saringai asked his brother, Raifu. The two leopards were talking in Saringai's room. Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello were out hunting, so the two leopards decided that now was a good time to have a secret chat.

Raifu shrugged at Saringai's question. "I don't know. But it's the news of the town."

Saringai sighed. "Wait a second. Doesn't the 'Book of Mutants' say that the Venus never falls in love with one of the boys before she joins the group?" Saringai asked, thinking this whole incident through. Once again Raifu responded with a shrug. Saringai quickly dashed towards the aging books and began to swiftly flick through its contents. He stopped on a page and read it. "It does say that. Look, it says here that 'The Venus never falls in love with another member of the State Mutants until she has joined the group'. But… if what you are saying about Leonardo and Venus is true then…"

"Destiny has altered," Raifu finished his brother's sentence. Saringai thought about this.

"Shere Khan is the first State Enemy to read this book, and by doing so has tried to disrupt the destiny of Venus. Because of that, Venus' destiny to join the group has had to alter, and is trying to do that through Leonardo," Saringai thought out loud. 

"You don't think that this is particularly a good thing, do you?" Raifu questioned.

"No, not really. I'm afraid of what might happen to Venus. She's still in the hands of the enemy. And then there's Leonardo. He hasn't practiced in ages. I'm afraid of what might become of him in the long run," Saringai said, a worried tone in his voice. Raifu placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll turn out alright. Where is Leonardo anyway?"

"He phoned earlier and said that he's going to be a little while longer in Ikhaya Labantu," Saringai said.

"You're letting him do that?" Raifu said, a little surprised, especially after he had heard about Leo's fight last night.

"At least he phoned," Saringai said with a small smile. There was a brief silence between the two leopards. "Deep down, you wanted to train the boys, didn't you?" Saringai asked. Raifu looked down at the ground, a bit saddened.

"You know that I couldn't have done it. I wouldn't have the guts to send them out into battle, to any place where they could get hurt. We both knew that I'd get too attached to them," Raifu said softly. Saringai nodded slowly, remembering the conversation they had so long ago.

*****

Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello were scouting around the mountain tops of Lesotho hoping to find some of the fleet footed rheboks that occupied the area. The keen eyes of Michelangelo saw a certain striped animal. "Guys, um, would you excuse me for a moment? I've got to go do something," Michelangelo said uncertainly.

"What? And leave me here with the non-violent, peace-loving hunter! Where are you going?" Raphael questioned. Donatello frowned at his description.

"I'm uh, going to the bathroom," Michael lied, gesturing to a nearby tree. Raphael rolled his eyes and slowly walked away, hauling Donatello with him. Michael sighed and made his way towards the mysterious Kuthixo who was standing silently amongst the bushes nearby. 

The zebra nodded his head in greeting and so did Michael. The cheetah did not expect Kuthixo to be around during the late morning. There was something different about the zebra today. Kuthixo turned to his side and gestured for the cheetah to climb on. Curiously, Michael did what he was told and mounted the zebra. Kuthixo neighed and bucked and kicked, testing to see if Michael was worthy. The cheetah barely managed to stay on, holding onto Kuthixo's short mane. 

A sly smile came across the zebra's mouth. Without warning, Kuthixo took off like a flash, galloping at full speed. Michael suddenly became scared and wondered what had gotten into Kuthixo. With great effort, Michael managed to pull himself up into a more controlled position. Although cheetahs could run faster, Michael was surprised at how fast Kuthixo could run over the sharp and uneven rocks. Michelangelo then looked at what was up ahead and cringed. 

Michael clung for dear life when Kuthixo jumped over the rather small but deep gorge. Both the animals made it to the other side safely. Exhilarated, Michael forgot his fears and caught himself up with the moment, whooping with joy and excitement. He relished the way the wind whistled past, the way his bandanna tails flapped in the breeze. This was the first time Michelangelo could actually enjoy traveling at this speed, as he didn't have to worry about exhaustion or injury. 

Soon after, Kuthixo slowed down to a trot before stopping completely. The zebra admired Michael's riding abilities. Kuthixo had been looking for a partner. He did enjoy being wild, but sometimes he found it fairly lonely and wanted someone to experience the feeling of freedom with. He wanted someone who would treat him as an equal, not someone who would boast about how they managed to 'tame' a zebra. When Kuthixo had caught his breath, he turned around and started to head towards his new partner's home.

*****

"Do the locals still like me?" Shere Khan asked Zareb.

"No. Not after what you did last night. And I don't think they will like you ever again!" Zareb reported.

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding? Last night the locals saw you enjoying yourself while you brutally attacked a cub!"

"Leonardo's not a cub!" Shere Khan yelled angrily. He touched his scarred face. The cut Leonardo had given him went from the top of his left eye, and ended underneath his right eye. He growled inwardly as he felt it.

"He's still young though. The locals thought that you had put aside your difference and problems with the State Mutants, but obviously not. When they saw the fight last night, they felt sympathetic towards the cheetahs. You will _never_ get them to like you Shere Khan," Zareb argued. Shere Khan growled. Vasha who was in the room the whole time, smiled to herself.

"Get out," Shere Khan ordered Zareb sharply. Zareb did what he was told and exited the room. 

"Well, it looks like you failed after all. I guess you should have listened to me and saved yourself the time. You know that I've won the bet," Vasha said smugly. 

"Venus can still be on our side," Shere Khan murmured.

"I don't think kissing the enemy is a sign that she's on our side, Shere Khan."

"Just wait a while! After what happened last night, she might be scared of seeing him again," Shere Khan suggested. Vasha almost laughed.

"Oh you've got to be kidding. How blind are you?" Vasha smirked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Just wait a while will you!" Shere Khan roared.

"Fine," Vasha said angrily and crossed her arms. "But only if you agree to follow my plan next," Vasha blackmailed.

"What is your plan?"

"To bring back Prima Noctra."

"Are you crazy?! That was the reason the locals rebelled and fought against us in the first place!" Shere Khan yelled. Around three years ago, the mutant tigers and lions introduced Prima Noctra (First Night) to Ikhaya Labantu, whereby a member of Shere Khan's army had the right to bed a female local citizen on her wedding night. Back then, Shere Khan's army thought that if the locals didn't join them, then they'll breed them out, hoping to create their own society. Obviously this didn't go down too well with the locals, so they turned to the State Mutants for help. 

"So what? We can't get the locals to like us. They already hate us anyway, so why don't we just breed them out? We'll take away their offspring and raise them ourselves, so then in time, everyone in Ikhaya Labantu will be in our army! Think of the possibilities! We could get out of Lesotho and take over South Africa with an army of that size!" Vasha argued.

"Vasha, what you're suggesting is completely immoral! Carnivores and herbivores together? It's just sick! It's just not natural!"

"Shere Khan, look at us! We're mutants! Nothing is natural! We are already freaks of nature! There's no such thing of being more mutant than what we already are! If the locals have offspring, then they'll be mutants, the same as the offspring of a local and a member of our army. They'll still be mutants either way, just if you do it my way, then they'll become our mutants," Vasha explained evilly. "Are you with me?" Vasha asked.

"No! It's wrong!"

"Well, I guess I'll be killing Venus then!" Vasha sighed and began to head for the door.

"Wait… Alright you win," Shere Khan sighed. "Introduce Prima Noctra," the tiger said sadly. Vasha smiled to herself and left the room.

*****

Leonardo carefully looked around his whereabouts before entering Zareb's hut. He found the lion/leopard sitting at his desk. Zareb looked up and smiled at his surprise visitor. "Hi Leo. Wasn't expecting you to visit me. What brings you here?" Zareb asked the cheetah kindly.

"I, uh, want to marry Venus. I was told that this was the place to come. You are the person who arranges all the marriages in Ikhaya Labantu, aren't you?" Leonardo asked nervously. 

"I am," Zareb answered simply and watched as Leo visibly relaxed. "Um, I don't mean to pry, but aren't you a little young to be getting married?" 

"I, I know that I haven't been going out with Venus for all that long, and I know that I'm really young to be doing this, but I love her. I know that she's the one for me," Leo explained. Zareb nodded in understanding. He knew that the couple shouldn't be married for reasons they hadn't been told about yet, but it really wasn't any of his business. 

"Fair enough. Now because you're underage, you're going to have to get permission from Saringai, and because Venus is a servant, you're also going to have to get permission from her master, Shere Khan…" Zareb explained while watching Leo's face change from nervousness to sheer horror "… Which I'm guessing from your facial expression that you haven't gotten anyone's permission yet," Zareb continued. Leo's face fell and wondered how he was going to tell Venus that they couldn't get married.

"Then again… there's always a secret marriage, where you don't have to get anyone's permission…" Zareb hinted helpfully. Leo's face instantly brightened. 

"When?"

"I can get you married tonight if you want. But the sooner the better, especially with Prima Noctra being introduced. Hopefully Prima Noctra won't be enforced until tomorrow," Zareb informed.

"Prima Noctra?" Leo questioned.

"Don't worry. If the marriage is a secret then Venus shouldn't be affected," Zareb said, not really answering Leo's question. 

"Then I'll get married tonight. Where should we meet?"

"Meet back here, at my hut. Then I'll take you both someplace secluded outside Ikhaya Labantu."

"One problem. Venus isn't allowed to leave Shere Khan's mansion by herself," Leo said worriedly. 

"Don't worry. I'm sure Rachel will think of something. I can tell Venus and Rachel the details for you."

"Thanks," Leo said. He then remembered something. "By the way, do you happen to know Saringai's surname?"

"Don't you know? It's Croft," Zareb said. Leo smiled and thanked Zareb again for what he was doing for him.

Galileo had been standing just out of view outside Zareb's doorway, overhearing the intriguing conversation. The black bandanna cheetah snarled when he heard of Leo's proposal of marriage to Venus. When the conversation seemed to have ended, Galileo stealthily sneaked away. 

*****

It was around lunch time when Leonardo finally made it back home. He was surprised to only find Saringai and Michael waiting for him. The leopard rushed to him when Leo walked into the dining room, inspecting the scar on his student's face. Leo could tell that Saringai was relieved. 

"I'm sorry that I did what I did, Master. I, I'm sorry that I let my guard down in front of Shere Khan," Leo said softly. 

"Leo, I'm not ashamed of you. From what I've heard about last night and your fight against Shere Khan, you've made me proud. Remember that surviving is not losing. You fought long and hard and you managed to strike Shere Khan back," Saringai said in approval. 

A few moments later, Raphael and Donatello came into the dining room. "Did you catch anything?" Saringai asked.

"No. We didn't because I was the only one doing all the chasing!" Raphael said, obvious from his tone that he was frustrated. The cheetah in red glared at Donatello, then turned to glare at Michelangelo. 

"It doesn't matter. There's always next time. Now, everyone sit at the table and tell me about last night. I haven't heard what has happened in full detail yet," Saringai gently commanded.

The four cheetahs explained to their Master about how well guarded the fortress was, and Raphael and Donatello told the leopard about how they were caught. When Leonardo was describing the fight he had with Shere Khan in detail, Saringai stopped him.

"So Shere Khan held out his hand and managed to blast you with some powerful force?" Saringai asked with a worried expression.

"Yes. The force he used threw me a good couple of meters away. How could he do that Master?" Leonardo asked.

"He must have used Shinobi magic," Saringai said more to himself than to anyone else. "Leo, how good is Venus at her Shinobi magic?"

"Um, she's just started to learn it," Leo said uncertainly, shocked that his master knew whom he was dating.

__

'Damn! Shere Khan is always one step ahead of us! He knew that Venus could destroy him with Shinobi magic, so he's tried to counteract that by learning it first!' Saringai thought to himself.

"Master, what's wrong?" Michael asked.

"This isn't good. Shere Khan used a chi blast which is a fairly high level technique. I didn't see this coming. Because Shere Khan is learning how to be a Shinobi, I'm afraid that it will make him all the more difficult to defeat," Saringai said sadly.

"Well, what if we get our own magic powers?" Michale suggested.

"I don't think it's possible. No State Mutant has ever had any 'magic' powers before, apart from Shinobi magic," Saringai informed while pacing around the room.

"Well, let's break the rules then. It's not like Shere Khan's really following them," Raphael said ignorantly. Saringai stopped pacing and stood thoughtfully.

"You're right. But the only problem with this plan is, how exactly are we going to get non-Shinobi magic powers in the first place?" The leopard raised a good point. The cheetahs dropped their heads in sadness. A rather long silence filled the room.

"Hey Don? What was the name of that book you were talking about when we went into Shere Khan's fortress to steal the 'Book of Mutants' back? I just remembered that I had promised you that I would tear it to shreds," Raphael said out of the blue with a bored expression on his face. Donatello thought about what his older brother had said.

"Raph, you're a genius!" Donatello called out. He bolted to his room and came back a few moments later with the book, 'Thirteen Dimensions' in his hands. "It is possible to get magic powers through the weak links of one of the different dimensions that is connected to earth!" Donatello said excitedly.

"Woah, slow down science boy! What are you taking about?" Michael said.

"Please explain, Donatello," Saringai encouraged.

"Ok. A dimension is basically another world, but it is a world that we can't see. Now, the planet Earth is said to have thirteen of these dimensions, or 'invisible worlds' as you might say, all of which are connected to Earth in some way. Now here's the difficult part. Each of these dimensions has a barrier, which is kind of like the perimeter or limit to the world. The barrier is what stops a dimension from blending into another. Do you understand so far?" Donatello asked.

"No," Raphael said simply, still looking bored. Donatello continued explaining, ignoring Raphael.

"Now, these barriers are in the shape of an oval, and it surrounds the earth. Because the earth rotates and the oval barrier does not, this means that the barrier is at it's weakest twice a day, that is if you stay in the one spot. The weakest part being the place that is closest to the earth," Donatello explained. The cheetah grabbed a piece of paper and drew a diagram, which consisted of an oval with a circle inside; the circle being the earth and the oval being the barriers of the different dimensions. Donatello's brothers could see that the middle of the oval was considerably closer to the circle/earth.

"One of these dimensions is said to have Pokemon," Donatello continued.

"Poke-what?" Michael exclaimed.

"Sounds lame," Raphael said, still bored. He took out one of his sai and started twirling it around, something that made Donatello nervous. 

"Ok, um, think of it this way. Imagine that every animal on earth was given a special type of power. Like, some animals were given the power of fire, while others were given the power of water. Now in this certain dimension, animals with these powers are called Pokemon. Now I've done quite a bit of research on this and I've found that these creatures have powers because of their DNA structure. Their DNA is said to be quite different because their DNA coding can cope with sudden changes in genetics, and can also cope with the stress their certain powers put on their bodies. After doing various blood samples taken from myself, I've discovered that, theoretically, because we are mutants, we are also quite open to sudden changes in DNA and can probably cope with these powers."

"What are you saying? That we can nick powers from these Pokemon creature things?" Leonardo asked, a bit confused.

"Yes. My theory is that because we have a similar DNA structure to a Pokemon, information or data from the Pokemon dimension should jump, or cross into our dimension through the weak parts of the barrier, thus hopefully we should get some powers because genetically we are considered as Pokemon in this other dimension," Donatello concluded. 

"Very good Donatello," Saringai voiced, understanding the whole thing. "But remember that this is simply just a theory. Pokemon haven't been proven that they exist, the same with other dimensions. You are taking all this theoretical information from one book, which could have been written by anyone. Also, if what you are saying is true, then shouldn't we have already gained some powers? I think we should be focusing more on our ninjitsu. I'm sorry to say that we shouldn't really rely on this tactic," Saringai said. Donatello nodded his head sadly, knowing what his master had said was right.

"It's a good idea for a cartoon though," Michael suggested, trying to get Donatello to lighten up. His younger twin smiled weakly.

*****

"I now pronounce you man and wife," Zareb announced. "You may now kiss the bride."

Leo and Venus smiled at each other before going in for the kiss. The newly wed couple stood outside Ikhaya Labantu, hopefully avoiding the prying eyes of the public. The moon began to shine through the cloudy sky. Because it was a secret wedding, there was no ring, but Leo promised Venus that he'd give her one some day, when there was peace in land. 

"I think I'm going to cry!" Rachel said, when the couple kissed. Rachel was asked by Venus to be the bride's maid. The jackal held onto Raphael's arm as she got out a tissue. Raphael rolled his eyes at the couple in front of him. After Leo forced him to promise that he wouldn't tell anyone, Raphael was dragged along to his little brother's wedding. He didn't mind really. Raphael always wanted to be the 'best man'. 

Galileo stood in the shadows and snarled at the newly wedded couple. _'You'll be mine Venus, don't you worry. As for you, Leonardo, you are going down,'_ Galileo thought to himself as he slowly crept away in the darkness of the night. 

__

Author's Note: Wow, it's been AGES since I've updated! I haven't forgotten about this story, this is actually the first available time I've been able to write this because I've been so busy (thankfully I'm in my school holidays now!). Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait… it probably wasn't. Next chapter will most likely be rated R.

I've been thinking up this story for about five years (this is what happens when you don't write down story when you first think of it. It gets bigger and bigger, so big that fanfiction.net will probably pull it down). I was in primary school back then and that's kinda why Pokemon is in this (cuz Pokemon was actually cool back then! Thankfully I discovered the Ninja Turtles before it was too late!). Pokemon will be in the story quite a lot (I can't cut it out, cuz it's too important to the story as a whole) but I promise that there will be no 'I choose you Pikachu' or 'I love you Pikachu cuz you always win, and cuz you're so adorably cute even though you can only say one word!'. I'm going to try and take Pokemon with a more sophisticated approach, using the actual concept of Pokemon, rather than the story line. I also don't think at this point that I will be using Ash, Brock and Misty at all. Hopefully with that said, you'll keep reading this story… even though it contains Pokemon! 


	19. Can't Wash It Away

Note: This chapter is rated R for adult themes and character death. Yes, that's right. A character will die by the end of this chapter. Who will it be?

Chapter 19: Can't Wash It Away.

"What is it you wish to speak about Galileo?" Shere Khan asked the cheetah that stood in front of him.

"It concerns your servant, Venus," Galileo started. Vasha and Shere Khan eyed him with interest.

"Go on," Shere Khan coaxed.

"Last night, I watched in the shadows as Leonardo married Venus," Galileo said slyly, watching the expressions on the tiger's faces.

"What?" Shere Khan exclaimed out of shock.

"Venus and Leonardo were secretly married last night, outside of Ikhaya Labantu. But that is not all. I'm afraid to say that Rachel was in on it as well. In fact, I know that Rachel has been trying to date Raphael," Galileo explained slowly. Shere Khan's face turned sour with anger. A cruel smile appeared on Vasha's face. Things were starting to go her way now. With a slight bow of the head to show respect, Galileo departed from the room, wisely leaving the two tigers behind.

Vasha teasingly smiled at Shere Khan. He growled in response. "You've won the bet. Do what you want," Shere Khan murmured.

"Don't worry. She'll die eventually. But first, aren't you forgetting something?" Vasha asked cruelly. Shere Khan looked at her in confusion. "Prima Noctra," Vasha continued, knowing that Shere Khan wouldn't have known the answer.

"No. I can't do _that_!" Shere Khan said loudly, thinking of what Vasha was suggesting.

"Fine. Don't do it. But first, think of it my way. After months of acting kind to the locals, you finally pull the plug and introduce a law that makes people quiver with fear. Then, when your most hated enemy is the first to break this new law, you chicken out. Your soldiers already doubt your leadership, but bringing back Prima Noctra has made them respect you again. Imagine what will happen to your reputation if you don't go through with this, even if this is your worst enemy… You'll be the joke of a nation, Shere Khan. A joke. A pitiful excuse for a State Enemy," Vasha said. Evil glinted in her eyes as she spoke. She had Shere Khan right where she wanted him.

Shere Khan growled. Vasha had him trapped. If he didn't go through with this, then Vasha will make sure that his reputation would be worthless by the next morning. Angry yet saddened at the same time, he pushed past the female tiger and stormed out the door, mentally preparing himself for something he knew he'd regret later on.

*****

Venus sat cross-legged on her bed, peacefully flicking through one of her Shinobi books. A slight noise disturbed her, making her look up. She jumped out of her skin when she saw Shere Khan standing at her doorway with a painfully sad expression on his face. "What's wrong?" Venus asked, concerned and startled at the same time.

"Why did you do it?" Shere Khan said with a tone to match his face. 

"Do what?" Venus asked nervously, thinking of the many places the conversation could lead.

"Of all things, why did you have to _marry_ him?" Shere Khan said, his voice thick with despair. Venus was too shocked and frightened to answer him. "I'm sorry that I have to do this to you, but law is law," Shere Khan said, closing the bedroom door. He slowly yet strongly approached her. Venus scrambled to get out of his path but Shere Khan managed to grab her in time, throwing her back down on the bed. The tiger followed and climbed on top, pinning her to the mattress.

Venus eyes open wide in fear. Panic rattled through her bones when she realised what Shere Khan wanted to do; rape her. She flung her arms around desperately, hitting him numerous times in defense. The tiger grunted in effort as he tried to stop her attacks. But the onslaught kept coming despite him. She wasn't going to make it easy. Shere Khan didn't want to do this. He had grown quite fond of the girl. But now his reputation, his life, was at stake, and this was just an obstacle that he needed to overcome. 

Shere Khan tried to grab her wrists to hold them down, but she kept on slipping out of his grasp. "Sebastian!" Shere Khan roared, beginning to get frustrated. Half a minute later, his son entered the room. The younger tiger stood frozen as he watched the scene before him. His father looked at him for help. "Sebastian, go grab me a rope!" Shere Khan ordered. 

"NO! PLEASE! DON'T!" Venus pleaded, tears falling down the side of her face. Defeat began to settle into her hopeless mind and body, knowing that she couldn't hold Shere Khan off forever. Sebastian didn't know what to do. He trusted Venus, and time and time again she gave him advice. But then there was his father…

"Sebastian, do want to be my heir or not? Stop fooling around and get me a fucking rope!" Shere Khan roared, this time extremely angry. Scared, Sebastian darted out of the room and came back a minute later with the item. He hesitatingly handed the rope to his father, and helped to tie Venus' hands to the bedpost.

"Sebastian…" Venus sobbed uncontrollably, knowing that her last chance for help was gone. 

"I'm sorry," Sebastian whispered. He stepped away and tried to ignore the severe guilty feeling that was lodged in his heart. Venus tried to move, but the tiger's firm strength and ropes stopped her. She knew it was all over know. She stared at Sebastian the whole time; tears slowly traveling down her face as his father subdued her by force. 

*****

Rachel softly knocked on the door. There was no response, but the jackal wasn't expecting one. She slowly opened the door and spotted Venus sitting quietly on her bed. The cheetah's eyes were red and swollen obviously from the excessive crying she had endured beforehand. Currently there were no tears on her face, but her worry was written all over her body as she tenaciously twisted her bed sheet between her hands.

"Venus?" Rachel questioned softly. She slowly made her way over to the distressed girl and put a friendly arm around her for comfort. There was a painful silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say about the horrific incident. A scared voice broke the dead silence.

"I have to get out of here," Venus said simply as she stared into the nothingness of space. When there was no reply from Rachel, Venus continued to speak. "Shere Khan said that I am to marry Galileo later this week. I don't want to do that," Venus said. The tears began to fall again with the thought of her master's decision. 

Rachel closed in and gave Venus a hug. "Don't worry. I won't let that happen," Rachel said softly, yet the determination was heard clearly in her voice. Venus continued to cry.

"How am I going to tell Leo? What will he think?" Venus sobbed. So many emotions washed through her body: anger, sadness, guilt, helplessness, used, shame, and most of all, confusion. She was scared. She was scared because she didn't know who she was anymore. Venus had always been able to be confident enough to stand up for herself when need be. But now her confidence and trust had been shattered. She feared Shere Khan. She feared Sebastian. She was now frightened of every male, except one, and his name was Leonardo. 

A voice deep inside told herself to reject the feeling of fear. To act like nothing had happened, so that nobody could see her weakness. Venus gave a small smile to show that she was feeling better, but Rachel knew that she was simply bottling up her true emotions.

Rachel didn't know what to do, so she stared into the nothingness where Venus was looking earlier. Almost out of nowhere, a cunning plan appeared in the jackal's brain. "You know, I think there is a way to get out of here," Rachel said slowly, thinking through her plan.

Kathryn's ears perked up when she heard this line. Her head was crammed up against the door, trying to pick up every word of the conversation occurring inside. Her mother, Vasha, had told her to spy on Venus and Rachel and to report back on how the cheetah was coping. The tiger's ear strained to hear the next part of the conversation, but to her the voices were muffled. She had heard enough of the plan though.

Quietly, Kathryn backed away from the door and began to make her way towards her mother's room. She found Vasha sitting at her bedroom table, reading a book about World War 2. "What's the news?" Vasha asked, not looking up.

"Venus is devastated about what happened to her," Kathyrn started.

"Naturally. Who wouldn't?" Vasha said bluntly. She looked up at her daughter. "Well… is that it?" She asked rudely.

"Rachel is helping Venus to escape," Kathyrn reported.

"How? What's their plan?" Vasha said, showing a slight interest in the topic.

"I don't know. I didn't hear most of it. But Rachel has to meet Zareb tonight for some reason."

"Well then, we'll have to interfere with that, won't we? And I know just the right person for the job," Vasha said confidently with a sly smile on her face. Without saying anything else, the tiger returned to reading her book.

*****

The moonlight shined over the mansion's enormous garden. Sebastian quietly admired the moon while he fed the hyenas that he had the responsibility of training and taking care of. He reached into his bucket and threw another lump of meat at the giggling beasts. The hyenas cackled and whooped as they fought over the freshly killed food. The tiger sighed to himself as he threw another piece to stop the creatures from fighting.

A light rustling sound in the background caught his attention. It was almost impossible to hear as the hyenas were making so much noise, but Sebastian sensed that something was up. He crouched down and peered around the corner of the building, searching for the source of the mystery sound. A familiar figure gently ran across the lawn towards the mansion's gates that lead to Ikhaya Labantu. 

__

'Odd', thought Sebastian. _'I don't remember Vasha giving Rachel permission to leave at this time of night.'_

"Follow her," a voice from behind said strongly. He jumped out of fright and turned to see Vasha standing behind him. _'Where did she come from?'_

"Follow her," Vasha repeated.

"Why? What's up?"

"She's betraying me by visiting someone without my permission. Rachel needs to be caught and punished. She's on her way to Zareb's hut. Make sure that Rachel doesn't get there," Vasha commanded. 

"Why should I? Why can't you stop her yourself?" Sebastian replied with defiance in his voice.

"I'm doing you favour. You're father will praise you if you catch the culprit that is sneaking classified information through," Vasha said falsely. Sebastian sighed. He didn't have the courage to argue with her. With nothing more to say, Sebastian gave into Vasha's bidding and went after Rachel.

Vasha smiled with success. _'Now this is where it gets interesting…'_

*****

The morning sunlight seeped through the leaves of Leo and Raph's bedroom. Leonardo yawned and stretched his arms over his head before sleepily rubbing his tired eyes. He looked over at the bed opposite and noticed that Raphael wasn't there. Curious, Leo crawled out of bed and grabbed his bandanna off the floor. He made his way to the dining room. Michael, Raphael and Donatello sat at the table. They all showed unreadable expressions. Something was wrong.

When Michael noticed Leo's presence, he stood up and walked solemnly over towards his youngest brother. The orange-banded cheetah opened and closed his mouth a few times as though he couldn't form the words he wanted to say. Michael took a breath and spoke. "Venus is… has passed away. She died last night…"

Leo's heart skipped a beat. Denial quickly set in soon after. "Michael, that's not funny. Don't joke about things like that," Leo said firmly, almost whispering. Michael looked downwards and shook his head in despair. 

Saringai appeared and put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Leonardo, we need to talk," the leopard said simply, yet the sadness could be heard clearly. From that moment onwards, Leo knew that this wasn't a cruel joke. He didn't know how to take the news. His chest choked up with disbelief, his legs felt like jelly underneath the feeling of tremendous loss. The cheetah didn't know what to say. Then like a wave washing upon a shore, all the emotions of grief showered upon him. Within seconds, streams of tears dripped down his face.

His whole body shook, all too suddenly feeling nauseated. He unsteadily stepped away from his family, backing away into a corner where he crouched down and rocked himself in a ball, tears continuing their path on his face. Leo shook his head from side to side almost as though he didn't want to believe what he'd just heard. Venus was dead. His wife, his most beloved had _died_. Leo's shoulders slumped as he broke down, giving into the tears of despair. 

The others in the room stepped forward to try and comfort Leo, but they all knew that whatever they said, it wouldn't make him feel any better. Venus was gone and there was nothing that anyone could do about it. Saringai crouched down so he was eye level. "Leo…" Saringai started, but couldn't finish. The cheetah furiously wiped his eyes then ran to room to grab his katanas. A second later he was out the door running as fast as he could towards Ikhaya Labantu. Without warning, Raphael did the same and rapidly sped after Leonardo. "LEO! RAPH!" Sarinagi called out in an attempt to bring them back, but it was futile. 

Leonardo's chest pounded with anxiety as he bolted along the rocky region. He had to know if it was true. Leo had to see it for himself. He noticed that one of his brothers was following him, but he didn't bother to turn them away. He needed the support more than ever. His heart beat a mile a minute as the ever-growing dread increased as he swiftly made his way to his desired destination.

The main courtyard of Ikhaya Labantu was eerily quiet. Not a soul was in sight. Fright sunk into Leo's mind as he regrettably accepted the news. Raphael by this time had finally caught up to his brother, yet didn't say anything or try to stop Leo when he slowly started to head towards Shere Khan's mansion. 

Everyone in town was standing in the front lawns of the massive fortress. A feeling of loss and sadness settled and floated like a mist in the atmosphere. Everyone knew. Heads bowed down to show respect to the passing coffin. 

To Leo, the whole scene was so surreal. He walked over to join the procession as though he was in a trance of disbelief. The locals looked at the Leonardo. They knew what had happened and what it meant to their hope of freedom, and showed it in their faces as they all watched the cheetah's reaction quietly. Leo saw Zareb nearby; his face mirrored everybody else's. The coffin, carried by both mutant tigers and lions, drifted by Leonardo. A thousand and one emotions flooded him; the strongest was hopelessness. Questions such as 'how' and 'why' bombarded his depressed mind. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, a single tear slid down. 

Leo's predictable appearance didn't go unnoticed by Vasha. The tigress stalked over towards the completely distracted enemy. She grabbed Leo from the behind and spun him around sharply to face her. "Have you got a death wish? Fool. You'll never get out of here alive. Not this time," Vasha hissed and threatened.

"I don't care anymore. I'm dead already," Leo admitted softly, eyes downcast with gloom. The tears didn't cease as he spoke. Instead they silently fell to the floor in defeat. To Vasha, Leo was easy prey. Raphael gripped his sais at the ready. Vasha prepared to make a single killing blow, but she was stopped by Shere Khan. 

"Hasn't there been enough deaths for one day?" Shere Khan asked quietly. Vasha hesitatingly backed off and wandered elsewhere, leaving Leo, Raph and Shere Khan to themselves. Shere Khan stood silently beside Leonardo. No words were shared, only sadness.

The tiger blamed himself for Venus' death. The female cheetah had committed suicide on the same day that he had raped her. He couldn't help but feel responsible for her death. He was disgusted with himself. Shere Khan didn't want to do it, but was forced by Vasha. It had led to Venus' death. The tiger was so ashamed that couldn't even bring himself to look at Leonardo, who was no doubt devastated. Venus' death should have been a victory for him, but her being dead meant that he couldn't turn her against his enemies. She had grown on him, and he had to admit that he enjoyed Venus' company. Just as much as he enjoyed Rachel's company. Which brought him to his next thought. '_Where is Rachel?_'

The tiger looked around the depressed crowds yet couldn't spot the jackal anywhere. Shere Khan left the ceremony to go in search of her. Curious, Raphael followed, wondering where the tiger was headed. He figured that Leonardo needed some time to himself.

Judging from the emotions emitted from the enemy, Leo figured that Venus' death was not on purpose. He needed to know everything otherwise he would never feel closure. Like old times, Leonardo walked over and climbed up the vines to the balcony that overlooked the pool; Venus' room. Once again, the emotions took complete control of him as he stepped into her room. He shuddered at the thought that this would be last time he would stand in this room. 

Venus' Shinobi books caught his eye. Leo picked them up, feeling as though he should take care of her possessions. It was then when he noticed a neatly folded piece of paper, laid preciously on her pillow. He stared at it cautiously before building up enough confidence to read the message hidden within. It was hand written by Venus. It read;

__

If I was to obey my Master by living my life the way he wanted me to, then I'm dead on the inside.

If I was to live my life the way Leonardo wants me to, then I'm dead on the outside.

Only when I live my life the way I want to, then will my spirit truly be free. Until then, I might as well be dead…

Leonardo couldn't believe what he had just read. His face screwed up in a confused, sorrowful expression as he folded the message back up before ripping it to shreds. He watched, with waterlogged eyes as the tiny pieces drifted and danced their way to the floor. There was nothing left to do. He gingerly looked at the books in his hand and realised that he couldn't bear it anymore. An enormous hole had been stripped from his life, and it was a hole that would never be filled. 

Leonardo aimlessly wandered around the mansion, staring at the numerous saddened faces, but none were as mournful as his. He overheard that Venus' body was to be placed on an altar, so that people could pay their last respects. Leo absentmindedly wandered over to the room where she was being held. When he arrived, there was no one else in the vicinity. Just the body of Venus and himself. He gently stroked the side of her face, hoping that a miracle would happen, but deep down he knew that it wouldn't. As he looked over her cold body, a deep feeling of loneliness hit his heart like a hammer. His mind was drained of all logical thought as he unsheathed one of his katanas. Leo studied the shiny blade that was alive in his hand. The sharp tip slowly placed pressure on his lower abdomen. He closed his eyes; the tears didn't stop. Leo breathed in sharply preparing to end his life.

"_Leo…_"

His eyes shot open in surprise upon hearing the whisper of his name. There in front of him sat Venus. Leonardo stood flabbergasted, staring at the living person in front of him. "Leo, why are you crying," she said, concerned. Venus carefully reached out and wiped the tear that was currently falling down his face.

Leo mentally shook himself and jumped in surprise at the warmth of her touch. "But… but you're dead?" he managed to fumble out from his quivering lips. Venus gave him a look filled with worry.

"Not I'm not. Didn't you receive the message? Zareb was supposed to give it to you," Venus informed.

"But… I just saw Zareb and he didn't tell me anything," Leo answered, still in shock. "How? Why?…" Leo stuttered, unable to string a sentence together.

"It was a Shinobi spell. The effects work exactly the same as though I had poisoned myself. Cold body, no breath and a greatly reduced heartbeat. I had to fake my own death; it was the only way out. Rachel was supposed to tell Zareb, who would in turn tell you that I hadn't died, that it was all just one big trick…" Venus explained.

"But… Zareb never got the message, otherwise he would have told me. I haven't seen Rachel."

"Then what happened to her?" Venus asked, worry written all over her soft features. 

After searching everywhere, Shere Khan still hadn't found Rachel. He knew of only one more place to look. 

"Vasha! Where's Rachel?" Shere Khan demanded when he saw her next. The tigress simply shrugged in response, a smug smile on her face, completely contrasting the mood experienced by everyone around them. "Don't act dumb! She's your servant. What have you done to her? Where is she?" Shere Khan growled.

Vasha shrugged again, showing the least bit of concern. "I honestly don't know. She sneaked out last night and I told Sebastian to go after her. I don't know what happened after that," Vasha said, trying to act as innocent as possible. "I guess your son is to blame for her disappearance." The tigress smiled once again, glanced in acknowledgment of the eavesdropping Raphael, and disappeared into the saddened crowds.

Raphael growled to himself. He also searched everywhere for her, but like Shere Khan, was unsuccessful. Uneasiness filled every bone in his body, when he listened into the rather heated conversation between the tigers. Not long after, a deep hatred for Sebastian sprung up from the depths of his soul.

A vibration from his cell phone distracted him from his thoughts. A message had been sent from Leo to tell him to come back home. Uncertainly, Raphael did what his brother wished and headed towards the exit. 

*****

No words could describe the expressions Leo received from his family when they saw Venus beside him, alive and well. Getting Venus out of the mansion and through Ikhaya Labantu had been a rather easy task, as everyone was at her funeral. She was welcomed with open arms by her new family, although Michael seemed a bit standoffish, considering that he still believed in cooties. 

The devastating emotion that had consumed everyone earlier had now disappeared completely, and was replaced by a much happier one. Though not everyone was delighted with the new addition to their family. Raphael was still deeply worried about Rachel. The longer he thought about it, the angrier he became.

As the day wore on, Venus settled herself into her new home, taking up residence in Leo and Raph's bedroom. It wasn't the fact that they were going to be sharing the same bed that bothered Raphael. After all, they were married. But what really got to him were the happy faces that he kept on seeing. By the time it was nightfall, Raphael had had enough, and left.

*****

Sebastian sighed as he stared into the twinkling stars that shone far above him. He watched his breath that became visible because of the nippy environment. It was way past his bedtime, yet he couldn't sleep. So he decided that a night walk would clear his mind. 

A lone figure was spotted in the shadows. The starlight glinted off the weapon in the stranger's hand. Sebastain stood completely still, staring in the direction of the mysterious shadow. 

"You killed her," the stranger accused. Sebastian gave a confused look. "You killed Rachel," the figure said, clearly and violently. Raphael stepped out the shadows, eyes piercing through Sebastian.

"Raphael, I…you don't understand," Sebastian said, slightly frightened. Raphael tightened his grip around his sai. How dare Sebastian deny it.

"Don't understand!" Raphael repeated loudly, raising his sai. Sebastian raised his hands in defense. The tiger could see that the cheetah was really angry and really confused as though he was still trying to comprehend his emotions. 

"Please understand Raphael. I couldn't… I… I… loved her."

Wrong answer. Raphael was certain that Rachel was dead. Otherwise why would Vasha have been so smug about it earlier? He knew that the last one to see her was Sebastian, who was intercepting the message to Zareb. It was obvious that the killer was Sebastian. Yet here he was, denying that she was dead, and even had the nerve to say that he loved her. That made him boil. 

A jealous rage like no other captured Raphael. His whole body shook with a confused anger. Raphael tried his best to think clearly; to control it. He let out a scream of pain and confusion as his emotions took over. Without thinking, Raphael rushed at Sebastian and skewered him with his sai. 

Sebastian shuddered at the extreme fire of pain that the sai delivered. Panic settled in as Sebastian tried to call for help, but all that came out was his erratic breathing. His heart sped rapidly, feeling as though it might explode in his chest. Then all of a sudden, the pain dissipated, and a peaceful feeling arrived to take over. As he relaxed into oblivion, he locked his dying eyes onto the scared Raphael's.

*****

Raphael furiously tried to scrub the blood off his hands in the pool of water. It was the pond he had drank from when they had first met Saringai. The water that had saved their lives from dehydration was now accepting the blood of a lost one. The deep, dark red liquid swirled amongst the small ripples. Even though he could wash the blood off his hands, he knew that he could never wash the blood, guilt and anger that resided in his soul. 

He was scared of himself. Raphael knew that he had a mean streak, but he never knew that he could go _that _far. What he had just committed was murder. Even though he killed everyday for food, this was the first time that any of them had killed someone they knew, a mutant like them. The cheetah was scared at how easily he lost his emotions. What scared him even more was the fact that he enjoyed it.

"Raph? What are you doing?" 

Raphael glanced up and saw Leonardo looking at him with concern. He didn't want his youngest brother to know what he had just done. "Leo, why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Venus?" Raphael said more forcefully than what he had intended.

"Venus is asleep. She needs her rest. Besides, I was wondering what had become of you," Leo answered timidly. He moved in closer. "Raphael, what did you do?" Leo asked, looking at the dark swirls of water.

"GO AWAY LEO! Don't look at me. Leave me alone!" Raphael yelled violently. Leonardo backed off, looking quite hurt. Raphael had never spoken to him like that before. Upset and aggravated, Raphael left instead, storming off to nowhere in particular. 

Leonardo stayed by the pond, too scared by Raphael sudden violent outburst to do anything else. He watched as the blood twirled amongst the ripples. He admired the water's sleek composure and the bouncing reflections that danced upon the surface. Leo wondered what it would be like if he became water, adapting so efficiently to any environment, whether it be rocky or flat. The sky flickered weirdly, though it went unnoticed by the mutant below. A warm feeling surrounded the cheetah. Blinding light engulfed him as he evolved to his next stage. 

A/N: Yes, the final movie was Romeo and Juliet as Raphaella had mentioned earlier. I just didn't want to admit it yet as I thought it would spoil the chapter. Don't know when I'll have the next one updated, but I'll try my best to make it soon.


	20. Saringai's Past

A/N: Sorry for the wait but I've been dumped with assessments and I've started writing another fanfic. Don't worry I'm not abandoning this one. I've decided to update the two fics alternatively. Anyway, this is a really long chapter, but it explains a LOT and will hopefully tie all the loose ends together (except Venus' past and few other minor things). It's pretty important and unfortunately if you don't get it then it will really effect the rest of the fic. If you get confused then reread chapter 9 to refresh your memory on the Book of Mutants. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this (and that you'll mentally kick yourself after finding out Saringai's past!)

Chapter 20: Saringai's Past

Shere Khan held his son's limp body in his arms, holding back the painful tears as he looked towards the rising sun. He tenderly caressed Sebastian's face before moving his hand along his body, taking everything in about him. His hand stopped on his son's fatal wound; three puncture holes where the middle one was the deepest. Immediately he knew what weapon was used to destroy Sebastian. There were only three known sai wielders in the land; Raifu, Raphael and himself, which left Shere Khan with two main suspects, though he figured it was probably the cheetah.

Immense feelings of regret entrapped his heart. Shere Khan did love his son, though now he wished he'd shown it better. He had a lot of expectations for Sebastian, hoping that one day he would take over Shere Khan's place, but obviously it was not meant to be. Shattered dreams filled his vision as he carefully placed Sebastian's dead body on the moist ground.

Vasha walked up and stood behind him. A cocky smile was planted on her face. Shere Khan noticed her expression and growled. "What are you smiling about?" he snapped.

"I think I've done quite well. I have managed to wipe out three of my major threats in less than two days," Vasha said evilly.

"What do you mean?" Shere Khan asked, his anguish coming out in his speech.

"You know I've won the bet," Vasha said, ignoring his question. 

"No you didn't. You failed to kill Venus," Shere Khan insisted.

"Yes I did. Just not directly. It's ironic really. You spared her life by allowing me to reintroduce Prima Noctra, which only lead her to her death anyway. Don't you see Shere Khan? You're just my little puppet. You're plan to become friends with the locals failed, and I won the bet. But to my astonishment, not only did I get rid of Venus, but I also got destroyed Rachel and Sebastian." She stopped to survey Shere Khan's angry yet intrigued expression. She smiled cruelly before continuing on.

"I was surprised when Galileo told us about Raphael and Rachel's relationship, yet it worked perfectly into my plan. Yes, Rachel was a competent servant, but she was also a deceitful one and had her days numbered. She had to be disposed of because of two things; one, so that you could never win the bet, and two, she was caught helping the State Mutants while operating the stall. Galileo told me that one. But who better to murder Rachel than Sebastian; the one who's had a major crush on her for years? Not only did it cause Sebastian to feel disgusted by his own actions, but it also put him right into the firing line of Raphael. I think all of us can now see how angry Raphael can become," Vasha said evilly, proudly looking at the carcass in front of Shere Khan's body.

"Why?" Shere Khan asked, his body shaking almost uncontrollably with both fury and betrayal.

"The answer to that is simple. Without Sebastian, I'm now next in line for leadership. Also, I've ceased the threat of Kathryn falling in love with your son, so now she can move on from that loser. Rachel will no longer distract anyone and Venus and her little male friends will never defeat me, now that she's dead," Vasha explained.

Shere Khan gave a low growl, resisting the urge to snap her neck right then and there. "You'll _never_ be the leader Vasha. I'll find somebody else to be my heir," he hissed.

"Tell that to the army. I will be leader, don't you worry. Especially with the reputation I've built up for myself. I always win Shere Khan. Always," she rubbed in with a big sneer on her face. A smile toyed on Shere Khan's face. Vasha's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you so happy about?" Vasha asked, disgusted by his reaction after all that she had said.

"You didn't win the bet," Shere Khan smiled.

"Yes I did. Venus died because of my actions," Vasha insisted.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You failed to kill Venus," Shere Khan said with amusement. Vasha's response consisted of a confused facial expression. "She's not dead Vasha."

"Yes she is! She died from ingesting poison!" Vasha said mainly to reassure herself.

"I thought so too. But when I discovered that her body was missing, I remembered that she's a Shinobi, just like me. It was a spell Vasha. A very good one at that. So good that it managed to fool all of us. You didn't win the bet Vasha; Venus did. I guess Sebastian was right when he said that this was a bet that neither of us would win. Destiny has taken its course," Shere Khan explained. A smile spread across his once saddened face as he examined Vasha's sour expression of defeat.

*****

__

Venus sat on her bed, staring out at the balcony, completely absorbed in it's majestic view. When she looked away she noticed Shere Khan standing in front of her. Her heart began to race in panic as he immorally licked his lips. The tiger pounced on top of her. Venus couldn't move her limbs; she was paralyzed with fright. The scar of the whip began to burn into her back, as foreign hands explored her body. Pain in its many forms seared through as she felt him on the inside…

Venus' eyes snapped open in shock. She was disoriented for a few seconds before she finally relaxed. It had all been a dream. No, a nightmare. Still shaken, she looked at Leonardo who was only just rousing from his sleep. His arm was draped across her waist as though he didn't want to let her go. She felt calm in his subconscious hug and gave a sigh of contentment. A few seconds later, Leo's eyes opened and embraced the early morning sun that drifted through the leaves. He looked at Venus and smiled, before planting a tender kiss on her lips.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" he inquired softly. Venus nodded, falsely assuring him. He smiled. "Breakfast will be soon. Do you want to get ready?" Leo asked gently. Venus smiled sweetly and nodded once again.

A few minutes later, Venus and Leo walked into the dining room and sat down at the table. Raphael acknowledged them quickly before pretending to look occupied with his meal, not making eye contact. Saringai greeted them both with a smile. "Have a good nights sleep?" he asked. The couple nodded in response. Donatello walked into the room, giving a big yawn as he did so.

"Good morning… Michelangelo?" Venus said as though she wasn't sure. 

"Donatello," he said gruffly but with a small smile. Michelangelo entered soon after but only gave a nervous 'hi' when Venus greeted him. The cheetah then sat at the opposite end of the table.

Venus gave Leo a quizzical look. "He still believes in cooties," Leonardo whispered in her ear, causing both of them to giggle. Raphael glared with jealousy at this, but it went unnoticed. 

"We're going to do a fair bit of sparring later on today. Would you like to join? Do you know how to fight?" Saringai asked Venus as he sat down to eat his morning meal. 

"I don't really know. I've learnt a little bit off Shere Khan's guards, by watching them during their training. I would like to participate, if it's not too much of a problem," Venus said kindly.

"It's no problem at all. I'll be happy to teach you a few things. You're a part of our family now and it's only fair that you are taught the same things as the boys," said Saringai.

*****

Venus back-flipped away, avoiding Donatello's oncoming mid-waist round house kick. Saringai smiled at her surprising skill. The leopard placed the female with Don, thinking that the purple-wearing cheetah would go easy on her, when in fact Venus needed to go easier on Donatello. Saringai used this sparring session to assess Venus' skills as a fighter. She definitely had potential, though Don did seem to be holding back. Venus was remarkably flexible, especially in spine; almost as limber as Michelangelo who was the most agile and supple of the group. Her attacks weren't that powerful though, but Saringai figured he could fix that with time and practice. 

After their bout had ended, Venus and Donny bowed to each other in respect, before sitting back down. Saringai gestured for Leonardo and Raphael to spar next. Leo and Raph faced each other before drawing out their weapons. They stood in a ready stance, waiting for Saringai's command. "Hajime" he called out, ordering the sparring to commence. Leo's katanas and Raph's sais clashed simultaneously. It had been a while since Leo had sparred with one of his brothers as he had missed most lessons because of his visits to Venus. But now that she was a part of their family, he no longer had to worry about sneaking away to see her, and could now finally focus on his studies. 

Unfortunately for Leonardo, the missed lessons had taken their toll, as Raphael easily gained control of the battle. Leo's lack of practice wasn't the only thing that affected the match. Raphael's fighting style had also changed. A low, throaty growl was emitted from his clenched teeth as he continued to wear Leo down. He was unstoppable; allowing the unknown built up anger inside of him to take over completely. Raph's attacks were blinded, furiously aiming for Leonardo who was trying his best to block them. It wasn't long before Raph's fury got the better of him, as Leo could only afford to block. 

Leo noticed Raph's new style and began to panic, as he didn't know how far Raphael would go. He had never seen Raph fight like this, and honestly thought that hotheaded cheetah would kill him right then and there. Saringai also picked up the odd fighting style, and wondered what the change could have been caused by. Raph pushed Leo into ground, glaring wrathfully at his little brother. "Raph!" Leo yelled out in protest, worried about his well being. Raphael didn't stop. 

In a scarred defence, Leo performed the unpredictable. A strong torrent of water shot out of Leo's open mouth. The stream pushed Raphael back and into the trunk of the tree, snapping Raph out of his angry state. The others looked in shock as they watched the now drenched cheetah standing in disbelief. Leo's eyes opened wide with alarm after he realised what he had just done. He couldn't believe it. None of them did. All of them looked at Leo with their mouths agape. 

"Tell me that didn't just happen," Leo murmured with a terrified tone, more to convince himself than anyone else. It was Donatello who figured it out first.

"It jumped…" he muttered to himself, still thinking it through.

"What?" Michael asked, wondering what his twin was thinking; though he was pretty sure what he meant. Saringai had heard many rumours that identical twins have telepathic powers with each other. The leopard had started to train the two in this ability only three weeks ago and the results were only just now beginning to show.

"It's the barrier. Information from the Pokemon dimension's barrier must have jumped and downloaded onto you, Leo. It's the only explanation!" Donatello explained excitedly. 

"That could explain what happened last night," Leo said thoughtfully. After no one asked anything, he continued. "Last night around one o'clock, I was at the pond. I was just thinking about how cool the water looked in the moonlight, when I felt really strange. My whole body glowed white; I didn't know what happened. After that I got so freaked that I went back to bed. When I got up this morning I hoped that it was just a dream…" Leo said, still scarred about what he did. Saringai's paw rested on his shoulder for comfort.

"That's why we haven't gained powers until know. It's not a physical thing; it's a psychological one. In order to gain powers, we must think of the certain element. Also, if it was one o'clock at night as Leo said, then we can also gain powers at one in the afternoon, as there are two weak points!" Donatello explained hurriedly, his mind traveling a mile a minute. "Leo can I have a blood sample?" he asked. Leo nodded slowly. Don then thought for a while. "I'll also need someone's for comparison. Raph can I-"

"-No you can't," Raph said angrily. "Use your own blood!" he bellowed.

Don shrugged. "Oh, and Venus, can I have a blood sample from you too? I want to see how much of a difference there is between our DNA," Donatello asked. "I can test it out and compare it on my new program I added to my laptop. It will only take two days," Donatello added. Venus nodded warily in agreement, before they all headed back to the main tree.

*****

__

Two days later…

Leo walked into his room and found Venus sitting on his bed. "Hey," he said softly with a smile. She smiled back and welcomed his kiss. They looked into each other's eyes before Leo looked away.

"What's wrong?" Venus asked with concern. Leo looked at her.

"I was… I don't know. Do you… feel weird about me having this power?" Leo said referring to his newfound water ability. Over the past two days Leo had tried to control his power. He managed to do so, though it was still quite limited and fairly weak; but he still felt like a freak for having it, as he was different from his brothers.

"Do you feel weird about me being able to perform Shinobi spells?" Venus asked rhetorically. Leo looked away again. "Leo, in my eyes, you're still the same person that I fell in love with. It doesn't bother me too much. We've already been through a lot and I know that we can get through this together," Venus said compassionately. Leonardo smiled at her, thankful for her reassurance. He then looked to the ground and blushed.

"I'm sorry," Leo said.

"Sorry for what?"

"I've been too wrapped up in my own problems that I've neglected you. How are you going?" he asked. Her smile faded. "Venus?"

"I… I don't know, Leo. I mean, if it wasn't for you and Saringai, I wouldn't really feel welcome here. Raphael's been acting strangely ever since I got here, Michael avoids me and Don… I don't know. I'm sure it will change though. They just have to get used to me," Venus reassured herself. Leonardo knew what she was talking about, especially with Raphael. He didn't know what had gotten into his long-time roommate. Leo took Venus into his arms, giving her a hug.

"Don't worry too much about them. After we defeat Shere Khan, we'll move to Kenya," Leo said while smiling.

"Kenya?" Venus questioned, a small smile returning to her face.

"Yep, Kenya. Just us two. And when we're there, we'll live in a cave and have five litters of cubs," Leo continued. Venus couldn't help but laugh.

"Five litters?" Venus questioned, concerned yet grinning at the same time. She knew he was only kidding around. He grinned back, glad to see her happy once again.

"Yep. Eight cubs in each litter!"

"Which will make forty!" she squealed, playing along. Leo just held her closer to him.

"Yep. And we'll also keep a pet dog. A Border collie."

"A dog?"

"Uh-huh! And we'll call him Raphael," Leo joked. 

"Don't tell Raph this, but I always thought that Raphael was a good name for a dog," Venus said thoughtfully.

"Me too!" Leonardo grinned.

"I love you," Venus said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him. Donatello cleared his throat in order to get the attention of the two lovebirds. Curiously, Leo and Venus looked at him and wondered how long he had been there. In his hand was a piece of paper. Don looked down at it sadly.

"What's up?" Leo asked, feeling unsure.

"I got the results from the blood test. I have just compared them. I checked and double checked, but I still found the same thing," Don said solemnly. This had to be the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life. He really didn't want to do this, but he had to.

"What about it?" Venus asked slowly.

Don cleared his throat again and looked down at his paper. "You're brother and sister."

*****

"So I guess this is it," Leo admitted, his words barely audible. Venus didn't reply and simply watched the sinking sun behind the mountains. After hearing the news, the two of them went outside to discuss the future of their relationship. They both knew it was over. They had overcome so many obstacles to obtain what they had, but the genetic problem was not a hurdle that they could pass. 

The two cheetahs sat side by side. It was extremely painful to do this; to throw away everything that they had fought so hard for. Venus struggled to hold in her tears. They both needed to be strong. Both were silent for a while. "You know, I'll will never be able to look at you as a sister. I'll always love you, and I'll always be here for you," Leo admitted, ashamed of his feelings. He knew the love in his heart would never fade, would never wash away from his soul. The same was for Venus.

"I know you will Leo," Venus said softly. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips one last time before parting their separate ways. Venus slowly trudged back to the tree, hoping to fit in with her newly discovered brothers. Leonardo remained outside, devastated.

He had risked his whole world in order to be with Venus, and now he had lost everything. Leo had two loves in his life, Venus and ninjitsu. Leonardo had sacrificed his training for Venus, but now that she could never be his, he realised that it was too late to return back to ninjitsu. He was no longer the best fighter in the clan; Michael was, with Raphael close behind. No matter how hard he would train, those crucial weeks that he missed he cost him the lead as he would never catch up to the others. He had truly lost everything. The only hope he had now was through mastering his watery power. 

Leonardo stood there and watched the final segment of the sun disappear from sight. He didn't know what to do. Usually with times like this, he would talk to Venus, but he couldn't this time. Raph had also changed. He touched his scarred face, the cut he endured when he fought for Venus. Leo knew that she would always be a part of his life and that he'd never be able to escape the reality of it all. He was already lost without her.

*****

Saringai looked at Leonardo from his bedroom's tree branches. He felt sorry for his student, but he knew that it had to be done. Leonardo needed to concentrate on his studies, especially with the threat of Shere Khan. He knew Leonardo and Venus were not brother and sister, and that Donatello had simply read the comparison wrong. But Don was correct in saying that they were related. Leonardo and Venus were cousins, not siblings. 

He seriously wondered if being related would effect their offspring at all. The major problem facing wild cheetahs today is the lack of variety in the gene pool. In fact, some biologists believe that all cheetahs could be considered identical because of the large similarity in DNA. It's become a serious issue with the survival of the species, as breeding programs can't overcome this problem. Genetically, it didn't really matter if they were related or not, as their DNA would already be really similar. 

But it was a moral issue. Brothers and sisters dating was just wrong. But at least with being cousins it was more accepted, but still greatly frowned upon. Saringai knew that with human societies, it wasn't readily accepted, if at all, but in the mutant kingdom where only twenty percent of creatures being female, being cousins wasn't necessarily a big issue. He knew before the blood test that Leo and Venus were cousins. Saringai predicted this, as he was Venus' father.

Sarinagi reminisced back to his early years. Back then he went by another name; Donatello. Raifu, his brother, had also been called another name back then; Raphael. Raphael and Donatello lived with three other non-related leopards at the time, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Venus. The leopard clan was the State Mutants of Lesotho, but it was not meant to be. 

Shere Khan had three older brothers. They were quite peaceful at first, but after a surprise change of events, the tiger brothers turned against the citizens of Ikhaya Labantu. The eldest was the leader and a tyrant. For the first time, the locals turned to the leopards for help. The two clans fought long and hard, and managed to destroy the other mutant tigers that had come from Asia to help Shere Khan and his brothers. The tiger clan wasn't growing. Thankfully, Michelangelo and Venus had five leopard cubs, four boys and one girl, who were to be the next generation of State Mutants. The State Mutant's of Lesotho's future was secure.

That was until the leopard clan's first home was found. Venus had been left at home to mind the cubs when the tiger brothers came. They hung the children and Venus before setting fire to the tree in which they had originally lived. Michelangelo was devastated when he found them. He set off on his own to avenge their death's, against Leonardo, their leader's orders. Michelangelo was captured by the tiger clan and was made into a slave. He was forced to battle other captured citizens for the tigers' entertainment. After succeeding in defeating all of his opponents, Shere Khan's eldest brother decided to fight to the death with him. They both ended in killing each other.

It was about that time when the South African State Mutants visited and delivered the responsibility of the 'Book of Mutants'. With both Michelangelo, Venus and the future of the clan destroyed, the leopards desperately needed to either destroy the tiger clan, or make sure that the future State Mutants of Lesotho did. There was only two ways the next generation of State Mutants could be born. One way was through having children, like Michelangelo had, but this didn't always work. The other way was through destiny where when three or more State Mutants die, then the next generation will be born as a replacement. For this to work, one more leopard had to die. So having children was the only option.

Shere Khan's second eldest brother organised an alliance with a group of mutant lions. They did this through an arranged marriage with the third eldest brother and the youngest lioness, Bethany, of the Kenyan lion clan. Fortunately, a month later, the second eldest brother developed cancer, forcing him to educate his younger brother in controlling the locals. The third eldest brother though was weak and unconfident. So Prima Noctra was introduced to help him out.

At this time, Leonardo had found the love of his life; a female mutant leopard that lived locally. They were secretly married but they were soon found out. After refusing to allow one member of the tiger clan to bed his wife, the female leopard was murdered, leaving Leonardo alone and furious. The leopard clan called upon the locals to help them revolt against the tigers and lions. This battle went for many months, but they wouldn't have gotten far if it wasn't for the help of Bethany; the youngest lioness and the new wife of the third eldest tiger brother. Bethany had an affair with Leonardo, which later resulted in the birth of Zareb. 

Yet Leonardo never witnessed the birth of his son as he was deceived by a member of Bethany's family, caught and beheaded. Prima Noctra was then abandoned. A week later, Shere Khan's second eldest brother died after battling with cancer for months. Shere Khan's remaining brother was made the leader, but Raphael assassinated him in revenge for Leonardo. After this, the leopard's second home was raided and the 'Book of Mutants' went into the hands of the enemy, Shere Khan, the new leader and the last of the tiger brothers. 

Donatello and Raphael were on the run. With Shere Khan's army on the rise, the State Mutants desperately needed replacements. They changed their names to Saringai and Raifu, to buy them some time. It could take a year for destiny to take effect, and Saringai and Raifu didn't have that long. As if by luck, Keira and Zaila came into the picture. They were mutant cheetahs but they certainly didn't look like it. They were different. The two female cheetahs didn't speak English or look unordinary, but they were mutants in the fact that they were extremely intelligent and were very accepting of the two weirdly dressed leopards. Raifu and Keira had four boys while Saringai and Zaila had a daughter. 

Saringai was slightly worried to find that their offspring didn't take on any physical characteristics of a leopard and looked liked ordinary cheetahs. But at least their outward appearance disguised them from Shere Khan's army. Alas, Shere Khan did find out eventually, and sent troops out to kill any mutant offspring from any feline other than a lion or a tiger. They killed Zaila, but Saringai managed to transport his daughter, Venus, to Keira to be raised with the boys. But soon Keira was killed too, and the male cubs were taken back to Shere Khan's fortress while Venus was raised with Zareb. 

Saringai thought about his students. The mutation they inherited seemed to be diluted or such, making them evolve extremely slowly. The only sign that they were mutants in the first place was Leonardo's eyes. But whatever chemicals they came into contact with when they had the incident with the truck, seemed to dramatically speed their mutation up, causing them to develop into the mutants they were today. Saringai observed that even though they looked like cheetahs on the outside, they still held some leopard abilities such as climbing, roaring and night vision. 

After thinking his past over, Saringai sighed. He wished he could reveal to them the whole truth, but he knew he couldn't. It would be too awkward and it would wreck the Master and student relationship. So many questions would be raised, especially that of Leo and Venus' relationship to each other. Though he'd love to see the two together, he needed the two cheetahs to focus on defeating Shere Khan. Saringai thought that he could always tell them afterwards. Though he was unsure whether or not to tell them now, but he needed to talk to Raifu first. He looked at his depressed student outside and sighed. _'Soon, Leonardo. Soon.'_

A/N: Well Saringai is Venus' father and his real name is Donatello. I swear I didn't just make this up in the shower last night. There are a number of clues throughout this story suggesting all of this. 

First of all there's the prologue which should make complete sense now, then in chapter one Keira says that her cub Raphael is named after his father (Raifu, who used to be called Raphael, is the father of the boys). In chapter 2, Sebastian wonders how the cubs can run so fast at an early age (they were already mutants). In 6, Saringai is seen using a bo. In 7, Saringai is the one who starts getting Donatello into electronics. In 8, the cheetahs' weird abilities (roaring, climbing and night vision) are discussed and compared directly to Saringai. In 9, Don asks Saringai if he used to be a State Mutant in which Saringai lies. In 12 Saringai says that he was in love with Zaila and has a daughter, then the story cuts straight to Venus. In 15 with the character synopsis I did, I did not actually say that Venus' mother was Keira. Also Zaila's species is not known. In 18, Raifu explains to Saringai why he couldn't train the boys as he would become too attached (he's their father after all). Also it mentions that Zareb knows that Leo and Venus shouldn't be married for reasons they hadn't been told about. And as an extra, a baby cheetah is called a kitten, not a cub. Baby leopards are called cubs though. 


	21. Rough Night

Chapter 21: Rough Night.

Dinner was a quiet affair. There was an awkward tension and build up of angst between Venus and Leonardo, shown through the quick glances at one another. The rest of the family was also quiet; taking in the surprising news that Venus was their sister. "So," Saringai started, wanting to interrupt the silence. "I guess we'll have to rearrange the bedrooms." Venus and Leo sadly looked at each other. "I would prefer it if there was only two to a room since the floor space is quite small. So who would like to share a room with me?" Saringai graciously offered. There was no response. "Don't all ask at once," the leopard murmured.

"Venus should," Michael said simply.

"Now Michelangelo, Venus is new here and she ought to have the opportunity to get to know her brother's better. After all, she's soon going to be fighting beside you, not me. It's not fair on her," Saringai stated. Michael just pouted.

"How about Leo moves in with you, and Venus and Michael swap rooms?" Raphael grumbled while picking at his food. The leopard gave his student a look.

"I'm not that gullible. There is no way that I'm having both you and Michael sharing a room. You two cause me enough headaches at night as it is!" Saringai said.

"I'll move in with you, Master," Donatello volunteered. "I mean, it makes sense cause I'm usually up late at night completing my self-projects with you anyway," the cheetah explained. Saringai agreed to this while Michael mouthed 'What are you doing?'

"Then it's settled. Donatello will move in with me, and Venus will take Don's old bed," Saringai concluded. All seemed to agree to this new arrangement except for Michael, who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

*****

Michael sat huddled amongst the branches of his bedroom wall as Venus moved the last of her stuff in. He cringed with fear when the cootie-ridden female picked up his nunchucks off the floor and placed them gently on his bed. She looked at him curiously. "Are you going to come down from there?" Venus asked, eyebrows furrowing at his bizarre behaviour. He vigorously shook his head as an answer. Venus shrugged and sat on his bed, much to his terror. Michael involuntarily gave a yelp in shock.

Venus looked at him again; eyes soft as she began to feel awkward and unwelcome. She decided to climb up the branch in order to sit beside him, but Michael swiftly moved further away. He frowned to himself when his stomach began to growl. He was getting hungry; hungry enough to scour through the dinning room. In desperation, Michael leapt to another branch and jumped down onto his bedroom floor, being careful not to step on any of the areas Venus 'infected'. He was about to move into the dinning room when something held him back. His eyes traveled down to his wrist where Venus held on to it.

Michael screamed and wrenched his hand from her grasp before panicking and backing himself up into a corner. "Gees, what's your problem!?" Venus asked angrily over the top of Michael's heavy breathing.

The male cheetah pointed a shaky finger towards her. "Coo…coo… Cooties!!!" he managed to say. Venus snarled at his immaturity.

"Michael, I do not have cooties!" she yelled, hoping that the louder the said it, the more she'd be able to get through to him.

"Yes you do! You're a girl! Girl's are gross!" Michael denied her reasoning. A cruel smile spread her lips. She lunged at him and touched the top of his head, shoulders and arms. He screamed again and flailed his limbs in defense. He bolted past her and grabbed his pillow to use as a shield. She lunged at him again, causing him to whack the fluffy bed accessory around. Venus picked up her pillow and did the same, turning the immature argument into a pillow fight. It didn't take long for the feathers to escape their material confines, as they fluttered through the air creating a regretful mess.

After ten minutes of intense senseless whacking, the two stopped and glared at each other. "Cooties!" Michael accused.

"Oh my gosh! You are so immature! I can't believe that you are older than Leo! Actually, I can't believe that you two are even related… Wait! I'm related to you!" Venus realised. 

"And I'm related to a disgusting girl!" Michael said out of shock and disgust. 

"Gross!" both of the cheetahs said in unison. They turned their backs to each other and crossed their arms while pouting.

*****

Leonardo entered his bedroom. He was depressed, no doubt from the breakup he endured earlier that day with Venus. It was now a rather late hour of the night, but he couldn't rest his troubled mind. Leo sat on his bed and looked over at Raphael. He was sitting in the darkest corner, twirling one of his sais on the ground; the longest prong twisting into the floorboards. Raph didn't even notice Leo. It was as though he was trapped in his own world, like a dark cloud had descended upon him. A snarl was written across his face.

"Raph?" Leo asked uncertainly. Raphael didn't respond and kept twirling his weapon into the ground. "Raph?" Leo tried again, only to get the same answer. "Raph, you're scaring me," he said voice low, beginning to quiver. "Raph what's wrong? Why won't you answer me?" Leo tried again, getting worried and stressed. He didn't need this. Not now. Not after what he had been through today. He had already lost the most important person in world and he didn't want to lose another. "Raph, please. I need you!" Leo tried again, tears beginning to fall down his stressed face. He couldn't cope with all of this. "What's wrong with you!? Why are you acting this way!!" Leo raised his voice, the tears still coming. "God dammit I need you, please!!"

Leonardo looked away, letting the tears roll down the curves of his face. Raphael continued to ignore him; allowing the monster deep inside to take control of his feelings and emotions. Leo wiped at his face and stared towards his brother again. "You know, I'm jealous of you," Leo started. Raphael locked eyes with him. Leo had his attention.

"At least you can move on. I can't. I have to see her every day, constantly being reminded about what I can never have. Hell, every time I look at my scar I will remind myself of her. I know that Rachel is gone, but at least you don't see what you can never have in front of your face every day," Leo continued, trying to compose himself.

"I never got to tell her how I felt. I didn't tell Rachel earlier because I was uncertain about the species difference. I felt slightly uncomfortable. But now that she's dead, I wished that I had been bold enough to say that I loved her," Raphael said softly, eyes becoming swollen with grief. He tried to ignore the lump of sadness that had formed in his throat. Leo sat one the floor beside his brother and gave him a hug, crying into his shoulder.

"At least Venus is still alive, unlike Rachel. She sacrificed herself for Venus, so that you two could be together. I hated both you and Venus for that," Raph admitted as he comforted Leo. Leonardo looked him straight in the eye with a sorrowful and confused face. 

"Raph…" Leo managed to croak out. "I'm sorry."

"I'm the one that should be sorry Leo," Raphael said softly and meaningfully, as though he had realised something when he looked into his tear-stained brother's face. "I got so jealous that I forgot that you're my little brother and that Venus has also lost Rachel as her best friend," Raphael continued and held Leo close to him, tears slowly coming down his face. "I'm sorry, bro. I'm sorry… I don't want to fight anymore," Raph whispered as the tears dripped to the floorboards.

"Me neither," Leo whispered back.

"Friends?" Raph asked, wiping his face.

"Friends," Leo agreed, turning the tears into ones of happiness. The anger that had once taken over Raph's soul quickly began to disappear as he reestablished his strong friendship and trust with his younger brother. They stayed in their brotherly embrace for a couple of minutes, glad to have each other to stand by in their greatest moments of despair.

"I still can't believe that you slept with your sister," Raph said after a few minutes, smiling. He then laughed when he thought back over the whole relationship. Leo knew that Raph was only kidding and didn't mean to be harsh or cruel. He smiled, slowly discovering the funny side of the whole incident.

"Should go on Jerry Springer," Leo said smiling.

"Yeah. The show would be called 'I didn't know we were related!'" Raph continued, smiling. Though it still hurt to talk about the subject, Leo found that it felt somewhat good to treat it lightheartedly. Yet it didn't take long for the frown to return. Raphael noticed this. "Leo…" he started, not knowing exactly the right thing to say. Michael was the one who was good at doing this sort of thing. He always knew the right words to say, which was one of the reasons he was the leader.

"Leo, you didn't know. It wasn't your fault. How were you supposed to know? If you guys didn't date then Venus could still be slaving away over at Shere Khan's big ass palace. Besides, any one of us could have made the same mistake that you did," Raphael said, hoping that he said the right thing. A slight smile came across Leo's face as he nodded to Raph's reasoning.

"Yeah, you're right. How was I supposed to know?" Leo agreed.

Leo and Raph were startled by loud voices coming from the next bedroom over. "I'm drawing a line on the floor. That half is yours while this half is mine!" A voice said, most likely Michael's.

"Well that's fine by me! Why would I want to go on your side of the room anyway?!" said the other voice, most likely belonging to Venus.

"I don't know! But you can keep your cooties and girl germs on your side of the room!" Michael yelled, his voice traveling into the room next door. Leo and Raph smiled to each other.

"Looks like we're in for a rough night," Raph commented simply.

"You mean Michael and Venus are in for a rough night," Leonardo corrected.

*****

__

Venus stood in the center of Ikhaya Labantu. A cool breeze whipped through her fur as she made her way towards Shere Khan's stall. Rachel wasn't occupying the store; Galileo was. A cruel smile spread his lips. "You'll be mine one day," Galileo said with wickedness. Two strong arms grabbed her from behind. She looked at her captor and shook with fear when she found out it was Shere Khan himself. "No Galileo. Venus is mine in every way," the tiger said cruelly. He bent down to whisper in her ear. "And if you ever escape, then you know the consequences."

Venus woke up with a shock. It had been the second night in a row that she had had a nightmare. She looked over at her new roommate who was sleeping heavily after the evening's intense arguing. Venus's heartbeat was racing and seemed like it wasn't going to slow down anytime soon. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but the terrifying images were still there. It had seemed so real. She knew where the dreams had originated. Her horrifying ordeal with Shere Khan was coming back to haunt her, as though the issue was left unfinished. She knew what she had to do.

Venus slowly and carefully made her way through the dark rooms in order to reach Leonardo. She was surprised to find him lying on his bed eyes open, still awake. Leo noticed her presence. "Venus?"

"Yeah, it's me," Venus whispered, not wanting to awaken Raphael.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare," Venus whispered simply, then moved to sit at the end of his bed. Leo sat up to look at her more clearly. "Leo, I need to tell you something," Venus started.

"What is it?" Leo whispered curiously.

"I don't know how you're going to respond to this," Venus said uncertainly. She was still shaking from her dream.

"What ever it is, I'll be here for you," Leo said before taking his hand in hers for comfort. She smiled inwardly at his small gesture.

"On the night before I joined you guys, I was raped by Shere Khan," Venus whispered as the tears began to swell up in her eyes.

*****

__

Raphael stared at a large, unknown building. He had never seen it before, but he knew he was still in Lesotho as the mountain ranges were clearly behind him. "Hello," a sultry called. He looked around and found Rachel standing a little distance away. He smiled and took one step towards her. She screamed in pain as he did so, and slowly began to disappear. Raphael desperately tried to run to her, but he didn't move an inch in space. After a few moments, Rachel had vanished completely. Raph spun around and found Sebastian staring at him with a gloomy expression. "You don't understand," the young tiger said simply. "Don't understand what?" Raphael asked, trying to control his inner fury. "I loved her," Sebastian continued. "You don't understand," the tiger repeated. "Please, tell me what I don't know," Raphael said, becoming impatient. The tiger stood wide-eyed as a single sai appeared and embedded itself in his stomach. His voice became choked as he fell to his knees. Raphael rushed to his side, wanting answers. "Tell me. What don't I understand?" the cheetah pleaded, but Sebastian was already gone. 

Raphael's eyes flickered open. It had all been a dream. A noise distracted him from his confused thoughts. He looked over and saw Venus with Leo. She was crying while Leo was comforting her, though he held a stern face. Raphael wondered what had happened; though he figured and wrongfully concluded that Venus was upset with Michael.

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Venus asked Leo with a fearful whisper. Leo nodded his head kindly. 

"I'll stay awake until you fall asleep. How about that?" Leo offered, knowing that she felt like she needed protection. Venus gave him a hug and laid down on the bed. She pushed the disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind, hoping to have a peaceful nights sleep. Venus was more relaxed now; knowing that Leo was by her side.

Raphael looked on from his pillow. He knew that it was just a harmless offer to sleep in the same bed for comfort, but he began to wonder how easily Leo was letting go of Venus, if at all. Raph knew that Venus was scared, but it didn't really help the separated couple if she kept coming back to Leo one way or another. Raph sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to think anything more about the matter, figuring it would just pass with time. 

*****

Saringai sat anxiously in his room, awaiting his visitor. It was daybreak, and Donatello was busy upgrading his laptop in the dining room, so he knew that the cheetah would not return for a while. To waste time, Saringai checked on his other students. He found them all still sleeping, yet he wasn't surprised when he found Venus and Leo in the same bed. Saringai knew their breakup was difficult and it would take some time for them to get over one another. 

He returned back to his room and jumped out of his skin when he found Raifu waiting for him. "What did you want to speak about?" Raifu asked while twirling his sai.

"You know that makes me nervous," Saringai said, gesturing towards the weapon. Raifu stopped spinning the sai between his fingers and returned it to his belt loops. "I was wondering if we should tell them the truth. You know, about how we are related to each other," Saringai asked.

"Why?" Raifu asked simply.

"It's because of Leonardo and Venus. Donatello did a blood test and told the two they were siblings. I just don't think it's fair to let them believe that," Saringai said, remembering the sight he saw just moments ago with the two.

"I know that it's unfair on them, but what other choice do we have? You yourself complained about how Leo wasn't paying attention in lessons because of Venus. We need them to be warriors right now, not lovers. I know this is harsh but they can wait, Shere Khan can't," Raifu said. 

"I just worry that the longer we wait, the more damage will be done," Saringai implied. 

"Master? Where's Ve-" Michael walked into the room and stopped short when he saw the two leopards. He was taken aback for a moment before looking towards Saringai for an explanation. 

"Michael, um, this is my-"

"Friend. I'm a friend," Raifu interrupted. The leopard grew silent as he watched his son. It hurt him to deny his rights as a father, but he knew deep down that it would only complicate matters if he didn't. He blushed slightly as he noticed an expression on the cheetah's face that he recognised as his own. 

"Michelangelo, I'd like you to meet Raifu. Raifu, this is my oldest student, Michelangelo," Saringai introduced.

"Nice to meet you sir," Michael said and bowed after shaking hands with the new comer. 

"Venus is in Leo's room. And I hope that tomorrow night you will both have a more peaceful nights sleep, instead of having a three hour argument over whether cooties exist or not," Saringai said bluntly. Michael blushed in embarrassment before excusing himself out of the room, after taking one last peek at Raifu.

Raifu smirked while Sarinagi sighed. "Three hour argument?" Raifu said smiling.

"He gets that from you," Saringai admitted.

"I guess they all have a bit Raph in them," Raifu said with a wicked grin. Saringai groaned in admittance. 


	22. Evolution

Chapter 22: Evolution

Venus' eyes scanned over the rocky outcrops, looking for any sign of prey. She had volunteered to hunt for the family; the only problem was that she didn't have any experience. Her amber optics suddenly locked on to an unsuspecting rhebok. She crouched down low to the ground and tried to get as close to the antelope as possible. Without a moment to collect her thoughts, she took off and sprinted as fast as she could, quickly gaining speed. The rhebok noticed her onslaught in a second and quickly bolted to get away from the cheetah. The rhebok headed for the rockiest part of the countryside; it's fleet footing eluding the feline. Venus tried to follow, but the rocks were slippery from the cold weather, causing her to slip off balance. Panting, Venus sat on the moist rock, disappointed with the outcome of the chase.

"Great hunting skills you have there," Raphael remarked sarcastically, jumping out from his hiding place where he had been watching Venus. A smirk was spread across his face. Venus frowned.

"It was my first try. I'm sure you did the same on your first hunt," Venus defended.

"Yeah, but I was a cub back then. You're fully-grown. You should be able to hunt by now," Raph commented, rubbing it in.

"And I suppose you'd like to teach me?" Venus queried. Raphael thought for a moment.

"Maybe if you're good. You'll have to call me Master Raphael though," Raph said with amusement. Venus rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. You don't hav'ta call me Master," Raph gave in grumpily. There was a brief pause between the two.

"So, um, where do you find the gazelles around here? I've only seen wild rhebok so far," Venus asked out of curiosity. 

"That's because there are only rhebok in this country. There used to be other species, but Saringai said that humans hunted them for food. The only animal they couldn't hunt was the rhebok because of it's hard skin, and because it wasn't the nicest thing to eat. That and the bird life," Raphael said. "We hunt the rhebok because we don't have a choice. It's the only substantial source of meat around. That's why there are so many vegetarians in Ikhaya Labantu. They have a much easier lifestyle. I'd love to go to Kenya or Ethiopia to hunt gazelles but it's too open and humans would see us. No people ever climb up the mountains of Lesotho, which makes it a good hiding spot," Raphael concluded. Venus nodded in agreement.

"I've never seen a human before, well, at least I don't think so," Venus said.

"Me neither. After what Saringai taught us about them, I don't think I want to meet one," Raphael admitted. There was another moment of silence.

"So, do you use your weapons when hunting?" Venus asked, changing the subject. Raphael shook his head.

"Only cowards do that. When we were taught how to hunt, we were also taught to respect our prey. They have a right to live as well. It is more honourable to kill with your own strength, than with a weapon," he said. "It's more fun too," Raphael added with a wicked grin. There was another moment of silence, but this time it was slightly awkward. "You look tired. I can get lunch if you want," he offered.

"Can't I watch?"

"Maybe another time. Right now we need to feed Michael," Raphael commented dryly.

"Why? The more energy he has, the more annoying he gets," Venus said, remembering her encounters with the eldest cheetah. 

"Trust me. He's worse when he's hungry," Raphael said with a smirk. Venus sighed with defeat and headed towards home, allowing Raphael to focus on the hunt.

Raphael always looked forward to hunting. It was his favourite part of the day. He jogged over the rocky and cold land, looking for any sign of edible life. Raphael stopped after a while and wondered if he should turn around or continue on searching in the same direction. He sighed heavily; slightly frustrated that Venus scared all the rhebok's away. The sun was high in the sky, but the air was still chilly as though it was still morning. Raphael wiggled his toes in the dirt, loving the feeling. He observed that some parts of the ground were slippery with droplets of water, but he knew how to avoid an accident and how to use the earth as an advantage. Raphael realised that over the years, he had developed almost a bond between himself and the ground. It came in many forms, but he loved to sprint and hunt on each a though it was a challenge. 

The sky rippled and flickered, causing Raphael to look upwards with curiosity. Before he knew it, an indescribable warmth was felt deep inside his soul. A blinding light surrounded him as he grew and evolved into something new. 

The whole ordeal only took a matter of seconds, leaving the cheetah with a bewildered expression. He shook his head and ignored what had happened, remembering his starving older brother. 

*****

Michael shivered in his bed. It was early morning and the sun had just rose, but it was too cold to do anything. Tired, Michael opened his eyes and looked through the branches of the tree. He was amazed to see the earth blanketed with snow. 

Ten minutes later, after Michael had excitedly woken everyone else up, the family went outside to see and feel the frozen, white ground. "Snow in Africa?" Leo wondered in amazement out loud. 

"Lesotho's one of the few places it does snow," Saringai commented. Michael threw a snowball at Venus, causing her to snarl in response. Without a second to lose, Venus threw one back.

"How come it didn't snow last year?" Leo asked, while getting out of the way of Michael and Venus' snowball fight. 

"It did snow, but only on the tops of the highest mountains. It wasn't cold enough to snow here," Saringai explained. 

"Leo! Help me!" Venus squealed as Michael threw a barrage of compounded snow. Grinning, Leonardo jumped in and helped Venus by creating more snowballs for her arsenal, causing him to take a few hits from Michael. Leo responded by using his newfound power; Michael stood in the cold with his torso drenched with water. 

"Hey, Don? Can I speak to you for a sec?" Raphael asked while staring at the war in front of them. Donatello nodded, wondering what his older brother wanted. Raphael took Don's hand lead him a fair distance away from the tree. When they stopped, Raphael pointed to a large and deep hole in the ground and snow. Curious, Donatello knelt down to examine the bizarre anomaly.

Donatello breathed deep in astonishment. "No animal could have made this hole, unless someone purposely dug it with a shovel," he analysed. 

"I made it. I didn't have a shovel," Raphael admitted, his voice slightly fearful. Donatello looked up to examine his face, unsure of what to think.

"You know, you should really leave the jokes Michael," Donatello said. Raphael frowned before snarling in anger.

"I made it! I'm not kidding around!" Raphael growled, wanting to be believed.

"But this is a perfect circle. You…"

In frustration, Raphael dived for the ground. After a flurry of paws, Raphael was soon underground; a cheetah-sized hole was left in his wake. A few seconds later, a section of the earth moved before Raphael reappeared. Donatello stood, astounded at what Raph had just done. "How? When? What?" Don stumbled.

"I evolved Don. Just like Leo. 'Cept I evolved during the middle of the day, not at night," Raphael explained with a quiet tone. Donatello nodded.

"As I said before, there are two times when the dimensional barrier is at it's weakest. It's quite amazing," Donatello murmured. "Do that trick again," he insisted.

Leonardo and Venus both teamed up and pounced on Michael, throwing snowballs directly at his face. After a few tries, he finally managed to get them off of him, before running to the nearest shrub for cover. Michael panted and observed the area. That's when he noticed a silent figure hidden within the surrounding trees. His friend's white fur made him blend into the snow quite well, with only the black stripes being his giveaway. Excited, Michael bolted over to the zebra. Kuthixo reared up playfully and jumped away. Michael smiled and gestured him to follow.

Michelangelo walked over towards his brother and sister with Kuthixo walking behind. "I'd like you guys to meet Kuthixo. He's a friend of mine," Michael introduced. "Kuthixo, this is Leonardo and Venus. And up there is my master, Saringai," Michael continued, speaking in animal talk. Kuthixo nodded his head in greeting. The leopard smiled while Leo and Venus were stumped for words. Not long after, Raphael and Donatello came back from their talk, and were introduced like the others.

"You have a pet zebra?" Raphael asked curiously, slightly worried that Michael had made friends with his food. 

"I thought there were only rhebok in Lesotho," Venus said, giving a quick glance towards Raphael.

"He's not my pet and Kuthixo is special," Michael said.

"Indeed he is," Saringai agreed.

"Can I ride him?" Leo asked. Kuthixo gave a snort or refusal. 

"Sorry, but he only lets me ride him," Michael said while stroking Kuthixo's mane.

"Yeah right. You can't ride him," Raphael said in denial, crossing his arms over his chest. Michael gently mounted Kuthixo's back, proving his younger brother wrong. 

"Cool," Leo said with awe. Michael jumped back off as Donatello and Venus patted his nose and neck. Saringai stepped forward and bowed.

"I'm glad that you could meet my students. You have done wonders for Michelangelo. I hope that we will be able to work together in the future," Saringai said. 

__

"I hope so too," Kuthixo neighed lightly before giving Michelangelo a playful nip on the ear. 

*****

Shere Khan stared at the view from his balcony and snarled. The snow made hunting difficult along with fighting. He growled at the situation he was in. He had to attack Saringai and his students as soon as possible, especially now with Venus growing more as a Shinobi. Yet the weather was cold and was bound to become harsh, forbidding his soldiers to go out in search of his enemies. The earth was white and therefore there was no camouflage. He growled and turned away from his balcony. Vasha was standing at his door, awaiting his decision. 

"We'll attack as soon as spring arrives."

*****

With ninja stealth, Michael slowly crept through the darkened village. He had seen the human town many times with Kuthixo from the safety of the cliffs, but now his curiosity got the better of him. The village had the basic luxuries of any modern town; electricity and gas was used in some of the more built up and developed parts. Yet there was still a more traditional aspect, obviously for the much-desired tourism. 

The cattle shifted uneasily as they sensed Michael's presence. There was a flicker of the light. Michael stared at the bonfire that burnt on an outside lawn. It was obviously lit for an important traditional celebration as there was a rather loud conversational party going on inside the large hut nearby. Michael crept over towards fire and stared at it in awe. He had seen fire before but only the small flames in gas lamps. 

The giant flame twirled and played with the cold wind. The heat slowly melted the surrounding snow. He liked how it illuminated his face with an orange glow. It had a majestic peacefulness about it, yet he knew it was dangerous. Though he wondered. Michael timidly reached out to touch the flame. 

What was weird was the fact that it didn't burn, but what was stranger was when his body glowed white. The night sky flickered for a few seconds before disappearing as quickly as it came; leaving Michael lost for words.

*****

Kathryn walked down the corridors of Shere Khan's fortress. Things were quiet, especially without Sebastian. Though she wouldn't admit, she missed the company and the arguments with Rachel and Venus. At least back then she had someone her age to talk to. There were other tigers and lions that were born around the same time as her, yet they treated her as tough she was royalty because of her mother's influence on the clan. She hated not being accepted by others.

She entered her room and sat on her bed, realising how many things had changed. She was appalled when she found out her mother had planned Sebastians death. Kathryn knew that Vasha had no right to do what she did. She loathed how her mother rubbed it in, how she said that she could move on. Kathryn knew that her mother never did approve of Sebastian, yet she still didn't have the right to do set Sebastian up. Her mother was cruel, always wanting to win and always using her as a daughter as a tool for success. She didn't want that anymore. After what her mother had done, she wanted her to lose. And she knew just how. 

Kathryn looked at the dagger in her hand; the one Sebastian had given her on her last birthday. She admired and examined the slender and graceful blade. It had never been used, until now. With a single tear down her cheek, she gently pushed the blade into her chest. Her final thoughts were of Sebastian. 


	23. History Repeats Itself

A/N: Hi everyone. Thanks for the reviews, for I really appreciate them. Well, the end is coming near. I have finally decided to divide this fic up into three separate continuations. After this chapter, we've only got two or three chapters left, depending how I divide it up. Also, I forgot to say this last chapter: Ricepaper, you were correct in guessing where the fight scene in chapter 17 came from. It is in fact the intro from Final Fantasy 8, so you get ten points for that. :o) 

Chapter 23: History Repeats Itself.

Shere Khan looked on from the doorway as Vasha mourned the death for her daughter. A part of him wanted to comfort her, as he could sympathise with what it felt like to lose a child, but then again, he wouldn't be able to relate to her feelings if it wasn't for her meddling in the first place. With that thought in mind, Shere Khan smiled, as Vasha deserved what she got. He knew why Kathryn had committed suicide; to pay her back for all the pain she caused for others. Kathryn had risked everything, yet she achieved what she wanted in the very end. 

Vasha stopped crying for a moment in order to stare at Shere Khan in the doorway. She wanted to yell at him; to glare at him for intruding her privacy. But no anger appeared on her face, only sadness and grief. Shere Khan gave her a smirk before leaving her alone with her defeat.

*****

Saringai and Donatello stared at the chemical equation with a confused expression. They were trying to figure out the changes that occurred in their bloodstream after the dimensional barrier had evolved them. After writing three pages of mathematical calculations and scientific equations, they still couldn't work out the percentage composition of each of the new and introduced elements to their DNA. 

A noise was heard causing Saringai and Don to look up. Venus walked into the room. "How was your hunting lesson with Raphael? You were taking a while so I sent Leonardo out to see how you were going," Saringai said.

"Yeah, we saw Leo. There weren't any rhebok around due to the snowfall, but Raph did manage to teach me how to knock out and hold the prey. Leo and Raph have gone down the mountain further to see if there are any rhebok grazing down there," Venus reported kindly. She walked over to the table. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to figure out this equation. We thought we had found the answer an hour ago but it seems that what we had resulted with was quite mathematically impossible," Donatello said, still staring at the sheets of paper in front of him. Venus looked at the chemical problem.

"You forgot to balance the original equation out. You need to put a two in front of the carbon, see?" Venus pointed out. Saringai and Donatello looked to where her finger was, only to find that she was in fact correct. A dark and embarrassed expression crossed Don's face, as he felt stupid for missing something so simple in front of his mentor. 

Saringai smiled. "That's my girl," the leopard said, knowing that she wouldn't process the full meaning of that sentence. Venus smiled back, and grinned even more when she looked at Donatello. 

"Glad to help," she said before going to her room where Michael was playing. Within a minute, the two cheetahs could be heard fighting. Saringai sighed and excused himself to Donatello, before going to stop the argument in Venus and Michael's shared bedroom. 

Donatello sighed and stared at the snow-drenched branches that made up the walls for the room. He was partly angry and depressed with himself. Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo had now all gained powers, but he, the one who came up with the theory in the first place, hadn't. Even Venus had her Shinobi skills to practice. Donatello couldn't help but feel ordinary. 

He continued to stare at the branches of the tree. Donatello noticed a single leaf right at the very end, amongst the twigs and sticks. It fought against the cold and bitter wind like a forlorn and lost soul, as though it was forgotten in the grand scheme of things. He didn't know why, but Donatello felt sorry for the little leaf, which was singularly braving the oncoming storm outside. The sky flickered and Donatello began to evolve to his next stage. The atmosphere grew heavier and a blizzard abruptly started.

*****

__

One month later…

Michael breathed a flame of fire in Raphael's direction, but the cheetah managed to dodge it by burrowing into the ground. After weeks of practice, Saringai's students finally managed to control and discover most of their new powers. Knowing that they would have to face Shere Khan, the leopard even allowed them to spar with their elemental skills. 

Venus was trying to build up her chi energy in order to perform a powerful attack, but was stopped suddenly when Raphael jumped up out of the ground, causing her to lose her balance and focus. Raph used this to his advantage and pinned her to the snow. He looked towards Saringai, awaiting his conformation. The leopard nodded and Venus was out of the group sparring match. She groaned and slowly walked over to her master so she could watch the others.

Donatello stood still and concentrated on his lower back. Out of all of them, Donatello's power had been the hardest and weirdest to learn and control. After focusing intently, two small yet strong plant vines transformed and grew from his back. The thick stems rapidly headed towards Raphael and wrapped around him, constricting him to use his earthly powers. Focusing hard, Donatello used the vines attached to his body to lift Raphael above the ground, before hitting him hard against the earth, pinning him in that position. Saringai gave his nod of approval and Raphael was eliminated from the match.

Michael grinned and threw a flame in Donatello's direction, setting alight one of his vines. Don panicked and furiously tried to blow the flame out. Leo frowned at Michael and extinguished Donatello. He then drenched Michelangelo with water as pay back. Michael screeched in disgust. Being a feline, he wasn't fond of water anyway, but after acquiring his power of fire, he quickly began to hate it.

A strong gust of wind surged across the land. Saringai looked upwards to see a heavy storm brewing. He was quite surprised at how quickly it had come. He called off the match and ordered everyone to go inside. 

The wind whipped through the trees that made up their home. Lightning flashed and sparked across the dark sky. Rain soon came afterwards. Venus stared up at the sky and sighed. The rest of the family was huddled in the dining room, but it didn't take long for someone to find out where she was.

"Why are you in here all alone?" Leo asked, stepping into dark and lonely bedroom. 

"I just needed time to think, that's all," Venus said softly, yet loud enough over the wind. She continued to stare at the lightning. Leo followed her gaze before sitting down beside her.

"What about?" he pressed.

"Nothing really," she said.

"Tell me. I know you too well," Leo said. Venus smiled knowing it was all too true.

"I feel left out. All of you guys have your powers now, and, I just don't feel…"

"Needed?" Leo asked. Venus nodded. 

"I used to feel special having my Shinobi powers," Venus admitted.

"But you are special… You are to me," Leo said softly. Venus looked him in the eyes, causing Leo to look away nervously. "Cool storm tonight," Leonardo pointed out, changing the subject. Venus agreed while deciding to let the previous conversation drop, just glad that her best friend was by her side on this lonely night.

*****

The snow had melted away and the temperature had risen considerably compared to the previous week. Spring had finally come. Shere Khan smiled at the view from his balcony window. Within minutes, his army was assembled at the bottom of the main staircase in his fortress. Every lion and tiger was there, including last Spring's litter of cubs. Shere Khan smiled at the many-trained faces in front of him. All were quiet, awaiting the leader to speak.

"As you are aware, Spring has finally come. We must attack immediately, if we are to catch Saringai and his students off guard. We must destroy them all, especially the Shinobi, if we are to succeed in taking over Ikhaya Labantu, Lesotho, and hopefully soon, South Africa. As you know, we don't know where they live. That is why we must start our search now, starting with the local village. Every hut, tree and cave in this country must be checked. To do this, we will form a line and walk simultaneously across the land. No one will escape or pass us. We will succeed!" Shere Khan ordered, his voice reverberating across the room. The army agreed and cheered for Shere Khan's decision. 

"Let's march and conquer!" Shere Khan roared, before leading his army out of the fortress' grounds and on to victory.

*****

Screams were heard throughout the village. Zareb ran outside from his hut only to watch Shere Khan's army stampede through. The mutant lions and tigers knocked down everything in their path; stalls, crops and fences. They checked every hut, making sure that the locals weren't harboring any of the State Mutants. 

Shere Khan himself walked over to Zareb. They glared at each other for a second before the tiger shoved Zareb aside, and ordered two soldiers to check the hut thoroughly. Zareb growled at the unwanted intrusion. "What are you doing?" Zareb snarled.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," Shere Khan responded with the same attitude.

The two soldiers returned and signaled that the hut was clear. Shere Khan gave Zareb one last snarl before continuing on his warpath. The leopard cross lion watched in worry as the army headed out towards the open hills. Zareb wanted to warn Saringai about the ever-growing threat, but he knew there would be a high risk of being followed, especially when the army was heading in the same direction. Not knowing what to do, Zareb decided to seek out an old friend.

*****

Raifu sprinted over the rocky landscape, hoping to be able to warn his brother and sons. The leopard had been warned by Zareb, and could only hope that he wasn't too late already. He stopped in his tracks when he looked what was up ahead and quickly sought cover from a nearby bush. A line of evil mutated lions and tigers spread across the countryside, blocking Raifu's path to Saringai. The leopard encountered the same the problem Zareb had. Raifu sighed angrily in defeat. There was no way he could pass unnoticed. He rapidly thought of an alternative solution. Raifu grudgingly headed back to Ikhaya Labantu, hoping that Saringai would be okay in the meantime.

*****

Venus' eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand the Shinobi spell she was reading. She had been looking at it for the past half-hour, and still couldn't perform what the book was describing. Frustrated, she slammed the book shut and tossed it onto her bed. 

Saringai looked in the room. "Are you alright?" he asked, slightly concerned. 

"Fine," she murmured. Saringai knew that her answer wasn't the truth, and entered the room to sit down on her bed. The leopard gestured for her to sit beside him, which she complied immediately. Saringai looked at the discarded book.

"You don't need to stress yourself over this. You are a natural. You'll figure it out," Saringai said with a comforting tone. 

"What if I don't? How do you know?" Venus questioned while crossing her arms.

"I know because it's in your blood to figure things out. You're naturally inquisitive and experimental. Just remember that it's okay to fail the first couple of times," Saringai said in encouragement. 

"I know it is. It's just that I'm not sure if I'm those qualities you mentioned. If it's in my blood then… I just feel so different from the boys. I… don't feel like I'm part of their family, like I don't have those qualities. I just wish that I was as close to Leo as I was before," Venus confessed, head down and cast in shadows. "I felt like I could accomplish anything before…" she trailed off.

Saringai felt as though his heart was going to break upon hearing those words. He sighed. Saringai knew that Raifu didn't want him to confess that whole truth to her and the others. But he couldn't bear to see her like this anymore. He took a while to respond, trying to find a way to word the sentence without it sounding like a famous Star Wars quote.

Saringai took a breath in before beginning. "Venus, what I'm about to tell you is very important. It concerns your father," he started. Venus looked at him, surprised by the mention of her unknown parent.

"My father?" she repeated quizzically. Saringai nodded and took another breath in.

"Venus… I am your-"

"-Master! Kuthixo says that Shere Khan's army is just on the other side of the hill! We're going to be surrounded!" Michael interrupted, bursting into the room. Saringai stood up in shock and took a few seconds to register the report. The others had heard Michael's outburst and had rushed into the bedroom, wanting instruction. 

"Quick! Raphael, collect the weapons. Don, take the electronic gear. Leo, gather up some food and fill the empty bottles in the dining room up with water. Michael, grab what you can from the Storage Tree. Take anything that's worth taking," Saringai ordered swiftly. The boys bolted off in different directions. Saringai turned to look at Venus. "I'm sorry. I'll have to tell you at another time," the leopard said with a tint of sadness in his voice, but Venus understood completely. 

The boys were fast and had fulfilled their orders in what seemed no time at all. They stood outside while Raphael ran ahead to see where Shere Khan's army was. He returned with bad news. "They're all across the land, Master. There's no way we can pass them undetected!" Raphael reported. 

Kuthixo cantered to stand beside Michael. He gave a whinny in communication. "Kuthixo says he knows another way. There is a narrow path that travels on the side of the mountain. We can pass them that way," Michael interpreted, even though the others knew what the zebra was saying. Without having time to discuss the options, they followed Kuthixo after giving one last glance towards their home.

*****

Raifu stood in the centre of Ikhaya Labantu's courtyard with Zareb by his side. Most of Shere Khan's followers were out searching for the State Mutants, leaving the village and locals alone for some time. The citizens stared at the two carnivorous mutants in silence, wondering what they were going to say. Raifu cleared his throat and began.

"As you know, Shere Khan has terrorised and controlled this village for quite some time. He has committed hideous deeds including rape, torture, slavery and murder. It has been some time since this town has been free and most of you have probably forgotten what it was once like. My job today is to remind you of the past. 

We are the largest mutant city in the world. We are free from human influence and prejudice. We have an economy, yet we are not free as individuals. Shere Khan has made sure of that. Life was peaceful before his time. Some might say uneventful. But everyone must admit that life has been horrific and fearful since he and his family arrived in Ikhaya Labantu. 

Shere Khan had three brothers; all of them have been defeated. Shere Khan is the only one left; the only one stopping us from being free. Three years ago we revolted against him and his family. We wiped out most of his army, and we will do it again. This is our last chance; the final confrontation. It's all or nothing. Will you help us in defeating this beast?" Raifu roared. The citizens nodded in hope and agreement. A cheering roar was heard amongst the locals. Raifu smiled. "Then let's make history repeat itself! Tomorrow morning we will march up to Shere Khan's army and end it all, for our freedom," Raifu finished off.

The leopard walked over to Zareb's hut, where he would be staying for the night. On the way he bumped into a friendly face. "Saringai!" Raifu said in happiness, glad that they evaded Shere Khan's army. The two leopard brothers hugged in greeting as the cheetahs watched from behind. After a quick catch up, they all made their way to Zareb's hut.

"So, we are going to fight tomorrow?" Michelangelo asked Zareb when they arrived. He nodded in response.

"The locals need to collect and manufacture some weapons. They need time to prepare and build up their spirits," Zareb commented. There was silence amongst the group. 

"You know, it's been great fighting with you guys. I've had heaps of fun growing up with you all," Raphael said truthfully, as though it was the last time that he was going to see them. Everyone frowned.

"You have to be pessimistic, don't you?" Michael commented dryly. 


	24. Manipulation

Warning: some readers may find this chapter gory… It is a war after all. This chapter's quite long, but I wanted to include a lot of things. This is the second to last chapter of Part 1, depending on if I decide to divide the next chapter up. 

Chapter 24: Manipulation.

The sun rose over the village of Ikhaya Labantu for what could possibly be the last time for some of the inhabitants. Well rested, Raifu rounded up all of the mutants in the town that could fight; young children and expectant mothers being excluded. After every piece of weaponry was checked, the army of mutants left Ikhaya and headed for the hills to confront Shere Khan for what was hopefully going to be the last time.

Michael's heart thudded with every step he took, as his mind raced with worried thoughts. No one knew how the event would end up, which made it all the more foreboding. The late morning air was quite chilly, but they figured the atmosphere would quickly heat up with hatred.

It seemed to take forever to find Shere Khan's army, but when they got there, they wished that the time took longer. The opposition spotted them in no time at all, and stood in a line, ready for anything. The two sides glared at each other, neither armies budging. All that was standing in-between them, was a large open field filled with rocks, grass and shrubbery. If there was such a thing as being a perfect spot for a war, this was the place. The only area that was of concern, was the raging waterfall and steep ravine that lay to the left of the open field. 

There was a brief moment of silence before a tremendous war cry was emitted from both sides. A low rumbling sound flowed through the earth as the two armies stampeded towards each other; the cheetahs, the two leopards and Zareb leading the way with their weapons poised. There was a deafening clash of pain and triumph as some of the antelopes skewered the carnivorous mutants with their horns, while some of the lions pounced and snapped the necks of the opposition.

There was no time to think. Leonardo ducked a blow to the head and retaliated with his swords, decapitating his tiger enemy. He stood stunned at what he had just committed. Shocked, he wiped the splattered blood off his face, but was swiftly snapped out of his frozen state when a lion lunged towards him.

Donatello felt like he was going to throw up. A mutant tiger and an evil lion encircled him, both wary of the bo he held in his paws. The cheetah's heart beat a mile a minute causing him to grip the wooden weapon even tighter. The two mutants attacked Donatello at the same time. The cheetah swung the bo around connecting with the lion's jaw with the front of the weapon, while the back hit the oncoming tiger in the neck. He cringed when he heard a sharp crack in both of his opponent's heads. Don began to breathe more rapidly as the realisation of the gruesome act finally hit him.

With fearful eyes, he scanned the battle, not wanting to be a part of it. He didn't notice the tigress that was sneaking up behind him. The unknown enemy kicked the distracted cheetah in the back of the ribs. A searing pain stretched around Donatello's torso as the bone inside was snapped. He cried out in pain and was about to retaliate in defense when Venus came along and finished the tigress off with a surprisingly powerful chi blast. Venus looked at her hands in astonishment, amazed that she was able to pull that particular spell off.

Raphael twirled his sais and growled at the four prowling mutants that surrounded him. Impatient, he stabbed one in the stomach before swiftly withdrawing his weapon in order to avoid an oncoming kick to the head. Using his speed to his advantage, Raphael hurriedly rolled forward causing two of his opponents to mistakenly kick each other. With a quick twist of the waist, he spun around to stab another enemy, before quickly recovering his weapon in order to jump and powerfully flick kick another in the jaw, knocking him undoubtedly unconscious. The remaining mutant unsheathed his katana and tried to decapitate Raphael, yet it was blocked by the cheetah's sai. The tiger tried to launch another attack but was too slow and received the same fate as two of Raphael's previous enemies. 

Panting, Raphael dodged to right, avoiding a fight in-between a mutant gazelle and lioness. Without thinking, he offered a helping hand by slaying the offending mutant. The gazelle nodded quickly as a thank you before finding another opponent to fight. 

Saringai and Michael fought side by side, only attacking when they had no choice as they were conserving their energy for a particular being. The two of them locked eyes on Shere Khan as the tiger murdered a mutant monkey with a simple strike to the temple. Gathering up his courage, Saringai approached Shere Khan, determined to set things straight. A lioness moved in to attack Michael, holding the cheetah up.

Saringai and Shere Khan glared daggers at each other. "So, we finally meet again," Shere Khan sneered. "Too bad I can't say that to Zaila," Shere Khan said, knowing how to get Saringai angry. The leopard growled, but managed to control his emotions quite well. 

"Too bad that after today, I won't be able to say that to you. You'll die on this field," Saringai responded, paws gripping the bo with anticipation. Michael looked on from the corner of his eye, still dealing with the lioness. A glint of evil was seen in Shere Khan's eyes. With no warning, the Siberian tiger lashed out towards Saringai. Scared, Michael departed from his battle with the lioness in order to tackle Shere Khan heavily into the ground, saving his master from what could have been a fatal blow. 

Extremely angered, Shere Khan pushed Michael off of himself and picked up the rather light feline, carrying him over to the edge of the gorge. "I'll finish you off first," Shere Khan said with a dark tone as Michael struggled in Shere Khan's grip. The tiger threw Michael over the edge but not before the cheetah wrapped a nunchuck around Shere Khan's wrist, causing the giant feline to fall with him.

Michael's family looked at each other in panic and ran over to the edge of the gorge. Both Shere Khan and Michelangelo survived the fall, yet the strong current from the nearby waterfall quickly became a challenge. Shere Khan seemed to have quickly recovered and was already trying to swim out of the fast flowing river, while the cheetah bobbed around helplessly in the water. "Shit! Michael's weaker in water because of his power!" Venus said worriedly, saying what the others were already thinking.

"Don't worry about Michael. I'll get him. The locals need your help in fighting Shere Khan's army," Saringai ordered them, before carefully trying to find a way to get down to the riverbank. The leopard dug his claws into the earthy ground and slowly made his decent. 

The four remaining cheetahs remained where they were, somewhat unable to continue on fighting now that their brother was playing with his life. Donatello clutched his painful ribcage and tried to ignore the throbbing injury. Raphael sighed and took over the role of leader. "Donatello, you stay here and watch over Saringai and Michael. If anything happens to either of them, call us immediately," Raphael commanded. 

Their attention was disrupted when they heard a loud cry. They turned in time to see Vasha brutally slaughter a mutant warthog; her claws mercilessly ripping into the screaming animal. Venus growled at the sight and looked towards Leonardo and Raphael for help in bringing this immoral foe down. The two male cheetahs extended their weapons while Venus prepared a chi energy ball in her hands. She fired, hitting Vasha in the arm. The tigress gave a surprised yelp before giving her three new opponents a hard glare.

Not wasting any time, Raphael rushed forward, trying to injure her with his two sais. Vasha defended herself with an unexpected chi energy blast, knocking the pursuing cheetah onto his back. It seemed that Shere Khan wasn't the only one who had trained themselves in the internal arts.

Vasha tried to follow up her strike with a punch to Raphael's head, but Leonardo intervened with his katanas, causing the tigress to divert her attack in order to avoid the sharp blades. Leo ran two steps forward and attempted a flying kick to the lower abdomen, but Vasha effortlessly caught his leg and slammed him into the ground. This fight was going to be harder than expected. Quick to recover, Raph, Leo and Venus all regrouped. Now was the time to use Plan B.

As they had discovered from many sparring lessons, their newly developed powers used a lot of their energy, and therefore had to conserve them until it was necessary. It was now obvious to the cheetahs that if they were to succeed, they would need to call upon them. 

Vasha's jaw dropped when Raphael suddenly burrowed himself into the ground. She snarled in frustration, not knowing how he had managed to do that, as it wasn't any type of magic she had ever seen. Vasha stood in a ready stance, yet she wasn't prepared for the blast of water she received from Leonardo. The tigress was drenched from head to toe; her mouth was agape with shock.

Vasha mentally shook herself and recovered by sending a forward flying kick towards Leonardo. The cheetah dodged it expertly at the last millisecond, causing Vasha to lose her balance when she landed, exposing her back for Venus' second Shinobi chi blast. Raphael resurfaced from the ground underneath the tigress in a matter of seconds, skillfully knocking Vasha into the ground. She swiftly rolled to the side, avoiding a downward kick from Leonardo. Vasha stood up and took a ready stance once again as though nothing had happened in the last couple of minutes.

*****

Saringai had finally made it down the rock wall and was now desperately searching for Michelangelo in the raging waters. He spotted his eldest student clinging to a large rock in the center of the river. Shere Khan was nowhere to be seen. With no time to spare, Saringai jumped into the river and started to swim towards Michelangelo. The current was stronger than Saringai had anticipated. The water pulled firmly on his fur, limbs and tail, making his swim quite tiring. Michelangelo struggled to keep his head above the surface knowing that it wasn't long until he was rescued. 

Michael closed his eyes, wishing that the constant bombardment of water would halt. All of a sudden, a familiar furry arm wrapped itself protectively around his waist. "It's okay. You can let go of the rock now," Saringai said softly. Michael obliged and hung onto the leopard's back as he made the tiring swim back to the back. Saringai grunted in effort, his breath became quick and rapid. The water was freezing as the rushing current was due to the melting of the winter's snow. Saringai coughed and struggled to keep swimming with the extra weight on his body. Michelangelo clung on like a zombie due to the cold.

Saringai couldn't resist the tug of the water and finally allowed it to take them further down the river. He continued to swim, yet he used less strength than what he was previously. Donatello continued to watch the two at the top of the gorge. He too had lost sight of Shere Khan, though he was more worried about his twin and teacher. Donatello's heart skipped a beat as he watched Saringai and Michael get pushed further down the river and out of his sight. Deep down, he knew that they'd be alright.

Donatello's focus moved to the battle where his other siblings were fighting Vasha. The three cheetahs repeatedly landed hits on the tigress, yet they were all too weak to cause much damage to her built up muscular body. Even though Venus, Raphael and Leonardo dodged most of her attacks, Donatello could see that they were tiring quickly.

Raphael held his paws in front of his face for a guard as he continued to pant, desperate for air. His heart thudded a mile a minute as his body was overheating slowly with exhaustion. Cheetahs were never famous for their stamina. If Vasha was tired, then she hid it well in front of her enemies. Her fur was soaked from repeated water blasts from Leonardo. A few cuts lined her torso from where Raphael had landed some kicks. Raph growled, wanting to finish the agonising fight.

Vasha threw an advanced chi blast in his direction, which he quickly evaded by performing a no-handed cartwheel to the right. The tigress closed in, wanting to strike Raphael with her fist. Using the momentum of the cartwheel, the cheetah continued to spin around, bringing his right foot to smash across her face, followed quickly by the left leg, before spinning another revolution to use his tail to crack into her ribs. Vasha hissed in pain, but remained strong and managed to block Raph's next attack, which was a punch to the head. She grabbed onto his arm and swung him around into the air, but Raphael softened the blow by burrowing into the ground once again as soon as he touched the earth. 

Vasha was knocked over backwards with one of Leonardo's more powerful watery blasts. He ran forward and tried to slash across Vasha's chest with his katanas. The tigress responded by hitting the sword on side, successfully deflecting the attack. A quick chi blast to the stomach sent Leonardo into the air, causing him to land heavily on the ground. Venus tried to sneak up on Vasha from behind, but failed when the tigress turned around.

Venus swiftly built up a chi energy ball, getting faster every time she tried. She fired and missed, as Vasha successfully ducked down low to avoid the shot. The tigress closed in and tried to kick Venus in the knees, but the female cheetah dodged it while retaliating with a palm strike to the chin. Vasha swung her arm tightly across her own face, powerfully blocking Venus' strike. The force she used was so strong that Venus' arm continued on it's path, making the cheetah noticeably off-balance. A spinning low kick slammed Venus into the ground. Furious, Vasha grabbed Venus' shoulders and forced her to stand up, twisting her right arm behind her back. Venus cried out in surprise and pain as her shoulder burned with discomfort. Vasha spun Venus around so that her right shoulder was facing her. With little effort, the tigress picked the female off the ground and slammed her back into her raised knee. Venus groaned in pain as the ache traveled up her spine. Luckily, she hadn't broken anything. 

Quick to think, Venus rolled to left, successfully dodging a low spin kick. Raphael resurfaced from the ground just as Leonardo decided to advance once again. Raph prepared to strike Vasha's back while Leo targeted her front. With a growl, Vasha performed a professional split kick, hitting both Leo and Raph simultaneously.

Scrambling to stand up, the three cheetahs regrouped once again. Their bodies were exhausted and sore. They simply didn't have enough fire power. Raphael's ground ability was more defensive than offensive, Leo's watery skill wasn't effective enough while Venus's Shinobi tricks were considered novice compared to Vasha's capability. "Where's Michael when you need him," Raphael grunted, really wishing that his brother was there to just set fire to the tiger and get the battle over and done with.

All of a sudden, two strong leafy vines wrapped around Vasha, pinning her arms down in the process. Don winced in pain from his ribs, as he tightened his hold on the mighty tigress. She howled in frustration, yet the vines didn't loosen, instead they contracted further every time she took a breath in, much like how a boa constrictor would hold it's prey. A sly grin came across Raphael's face. "Let's bring this bitch down," he said, voice low with determination and finality.

Leonardo doused her once again with water, mainly just for torture reasons, as she stood there unable to run. Raphael growled and walked straight up to the soggy feline, staring at her directly in the eyes. As quick as lightning, he performed an ax kick. Vasha's shoulder exploded with pain as the clavicle was snapped. She took in a sharp breath, trying to control the tremendous ache. Raphael watched her in disgust and delight for a few seconds as Donatello slowly tightened the vines further. The cheetah spun his sai almost casually before strongly piercing Vasha's gut. The tigress shuddered and breathed out, causing Donatello to squeeze harder, slowly choking her to death. Raphael withdrew the weapon, yet Vasha still seemed to be fighting for her life.

After what Vasha had put Venus through, the female cheetah wanted to finish it once and for all. A surge of power, filled with anger and angst gathered in her palms. When Venus couldn't hold the energy ball any longer, she released it. The blue chi that Venus had created flew through the air and hit Vasha straight in the eyes. It continued to travel, flowing through her neural pathways and backbone. There was too much chi energy in Vasha's body, and it gave a negative effect, slowly over using and cooking the tigresses nerve endings. 

It all happened in a matter of seconds. When Donatello finally released his leafy hold on the feline, she was gone; her ribs and one shoulder was cracked, blood oozed from Raphael's sai wound, while her neural messages had ceased thanks to Venus' Shinobi magic. It was a gruesome and torturous way to die, but yet it was well worth it in the cheetahs' eyes.

"I didn't know that you could do that," Leonardo said to Venus, referring to her last chi blast.

"Me neither," she answered simply, shrugging in the process.

Donatello sat back down on the ground and cradled his side, willing the pain away. The others approached him. "I thought I told you to keep watch on Michael and Saringai?" Raphael asked, slightly out of breath. Don looked toward the ravine.

"I lost sight of them, but they looked okay. Besides, you needed my help," Donatello answered with a cheeky tone to his voice. Raphael nodded and looked around at their surroundings. They may have won the fight with Vasha, yet it didn't look like they were winning the war. Shere Khan's army was quickly outnumbering the alliance of the locals. Bodies from both sides were strewn across the countryside, though there seemed to be more casualties from Raifu's soldiers. Yet the battle and war was still raging on. The cheetahs could see Zareb and Raifu fighting bravely and tirelessly in the distance. 

Two lions had spotted the resting cheetahs and decided to approach. Leonardo helped Donatello to stand, and handed him his bo that was lying on the ground. "I'm not stopping until we either win or die," Raphael growled, determined to succeed in the war against dictatorship. His other siblings nodded in agreement. They all withdrew their weapons once again, and charged towards the opposition with hope in their eyes.

*****

Sarinagi continued to swim alongside the weakened Michael. Because they had traveled so far downstream, a flat and easy bank was no longer available. Rows of algae-covered rocks lined the river. With one last ounce of strength, Saringai pulled Michael on to the bank, carefully stepping on the slippery large pebbles. He gently rolled and pushed the somewhat lifeless cheetah ahead of him so he could concentrate on getting completely out of the water himself. 

Disaster struck. The leopard misplaced one of his paws while climbing out, causing him to tumble in the raging river once again. Low on energy, Saringai wearily started to swim once again, yet his trip was cut short when his whole body slammed into a large boulder that protruded through the water currents. His mind was a whirl of lights. Then everything went black. Unconscious, Saringai's head was submerged in the river; his lungs went into automatic and started to breathe in water instead of air. A sharp meander in the river was up ahead. Unable to carry Saringai's weight around the turn, the river swiftly deposited the leopard on the rather shallow bank. Yet it was already too late.

Saringai had breathed in too much water in the last couple of minutes. An extremely slow pulse was still radiating from his body. His brain was fighting to live; yet it didn't know how to function. 

Minutes past. Michael gave a weary groan from where he had been placed by his master. His fur was matted with wet soil. He hadn't lost consciousness, yet he had been very weak because his power of fire didn't mix too well with the bombardment of water he endured. He clumsily stood up and stumbled around to maintain his balance. When his mind had cleared, he began to wonder what had happened to his beloved master.

Michael exhaustedly followed the river, knowing from common sense that that was where Saringai was going to be. He stopped abruptly in shock when he found the leopard lying motionlessly on the ground, his body only halfway anchored onto the muddy bank. The cheetah rushed forwards to be by his side. He didn't know what to do. His mind didn't want to accept what had happened. Thinking rapidly, he searched for a pulse, though he never found one. Michael was determined not to give up. The cheetah furiously tried to resuscitate the leopard, pounding hard on his chest to try and get the circulatory system back in order. Michael breathed into Saringai's mouth, tears forming in his eyes as he did so. He knew he was too late, yet he didn't want to accept the inevitable.

Michael shook Saringai's shoulder, as though the leopard was only sleeping. "C'mon master. We have to go… The others are waiting for us…" Michael whispered, tears flowing fluently down his face. Saringai didn't respond. Michael shook him again. "Master…" Michael managed to say before he broke down into sobs. He never got to say goodbye, or was able to thank him for saving his life. Michael rested Saringai's head on his lap and began to stroke his moist fur as though it would change the situation. An enemy lurked nearby.

Shere Khan had managed to swim out of the river quickly, unlike Michael and Saringai. Forgetting about the battle held on the top of the gorge, the tiger decided to keep an eye on the leopard and cheetah, making sure that he avoided Donatello's watchful gaze in the process. From the safety of the rocks, Shere Khan saw the whole incident. He looked on with despair when he found Saringai's body. Just like him, the leopard was a ninja, and the tiger knew that he shouldn't have died in the river, but rather have passed away more respectfully through battling. Yet, Saringai was his enemy and Shere Khan couldn't help but sigh in relief that he wouldn't have to face him ever again.

Meanwhile, Michael was completely distracted by his thoughts of despair. Shere Khan fingered his sai, knowing that he had a clear shot of the cheetah. But something stopped him. Maybe it was his conscious, or it could have been the fact that he had thought of a crueler plan. Deciding what action to take quickly, Shere Khan walked silently towards Michael. The cheetah didn't notice him until he was standing directly behind. Michael swiftly moved out of the way, his vision blurry because of the tears in his eyes. He looked lost, fearful and confused, constantly glancing at the leopard's body on the ground. 

"What have you done?" Shere Khan asked softly. Michael's face showed a depressed sense of confusion. 

"What do you mean? It's not my fault," the cheetah replied weakly, too grief stricken and fearful to attack the enormous tiger. Shere Khan paused for a moment to look at Saringai. He knew Michael's body and mind was weak and could be easily manipulated.

"But, in a way, it is," Shere Khan said slowly, pausing to allow the words to sink in. Michael continued to shed tears, not caring about how he looked in front of his enemy. A part deep down knew that what Shere Khan was telling was wrong.

"No it's not," Michael said softly, shuddering in sadness. He didn't want to hear anymore words, yet his legs remained still as stone. "If you didn't attack…" the cheetah started.

"That attack was intended for Saringai. But you intervened. We wouldn't have fallen into the water in the first place if it weren't for your meddling. If we did end up in the river, without you, Saringai would have escaped easily. So, in a way, it is your fault. Your fault because you interfered. Your fault because you couldn't swim. Your fault that you weren't able to revive him. It's all your fault," Shere Khan said cruelly, driving the words into Michael's susceptible brain. The cheetah covered his ears, not wanting to hear the convicting words. With tears continuing to roll down his cheeks, Michael began to believe what the tiger was telling him. It was his fault.

Shere Khan smiled inwardly when he saw the cheetah at a loss for words. It was time to finish his plan. "What will your family think?" Shere Khan asked, hoping to enjoy watching Michael's reaction. The cheetah stared wide-eyed at the tiger as the realisation finally hit him. What would he say?

"What do I do?" Michael asked, yet he said it more to himself. Shere Khan still heard the question. 

"You need to let go of your past. You need to get out of Lesotho… and never return. You are a disgrace. You killed your own Master. If the locals ever found out, you'll be exiled. So it's better to leave as soon as possible," Shere Khan said, manipulating the young cheetah to do what he wanted. The tiger could have easily killed him, but Shere Khan thought that it would be more of a punishment if he let Michael live.

The cheetah wiped his swollen red eyes and quickly ran from Shere Khan's sight, wanting to escape from the enormity of it all. The tiger smiled to himself. _'Goodbye, State Mutants'_.

*****

The final three soldiers of Shere Khan's army huddled together as Raphael, Leonardo, Venus, Donatello, Raifu, Zareb and the remaining locals surrounded them. The army had been defeated, thanks to the advanced and speedy fighting skills of Saringai's students. After a number of grueling hours, the small war was finally coming to an end. Only two mutant tigers and a lion remained. 

The fearful three enemies cowered in surrender. Tired, yet still strong, Raifu stepped forward to end the battle. "You lose. Get out of Lesotho. Gather the survivors of your clan and leave. If you ever return, I'll kill you," Raifu threatened dangerously. The three mutants nodded fearfully in agreement before turning to leave, feeling the hatred being emitted from Ikhaya Labantu's locals. 

Leonardo looked around at what was left. About half of the locals had disappeared; their remains were scattered amongst the bodies on the battlefield. Zareb exhaustedly observed his surroundings. "Let's clean up," Zareb announced sadly to the remaining mutants. "We don't want any humans to find out what had happened here today," he continued to speak with a soft sadness in his tone. A lot of people had died, though it wasn't in vain. Ikhaya Labantu's freedom had been won.

The cheetahs all looked to each other before hugging in victory and sadness. As Venus started to tend to Donatello's broken rib, Raphael and Leonardo started thinking about the same question.

"Where's Michael?"


	25. A New Identity

Chapter 25: A New Identity.

Donatello drooped his head in grief as Saringai's once life-filled body was lowered into the grave. After the locals were victorious, a search was organised for the whereabouts of Shere Khan, Saringai and Michael. The daylight had faded fast, and they wouldn't have found the leopard's body if not for the help of the excellent tracker, Kuthixo. It was late at night when Michael was found, sulking under a tree ages away from the battlefield and his master's body. When questioned, the cheetah simply stated that Shere Khan had drowned, not wanting his family to learn that the enemy mastermind was still alive, thanks to him letting the tiger go.

Michael was ashamed with himself, as he didn't kill Shere Khan when he had the chance. The cheetah knew that he couldn't blame himself entirely for the death of Saringai, but the tiger's words still burned into his brain. Shere Khan was so convincing when he said it; Michael simply couldn't put it past him that some of the events and actions that he did, led to Saringai drowning. Those hours when he was alone, Michael came up with thousands of 'what if' scenarios. What if he could swim? What if he didn't tackle Shere Khan? What if he had struggled harder in Shere Khan's grasp? Naturally, in Michelangelo's mind all of the scenarios leaded to Saringai being alive. After realising that, he truly blamed himself. 

Michelangelo barely spoke a word until the funeral. A large piece of land was allocated just outside Ikhaya Labantu as a cemetery for the heroes that were lost on both sides of the war. The loss of Saringai effected all of the citizens and everyone made sure that they attended the funeral. 

It was a quiet affair. Michael was a wreck. His bandanna was stained with the constant tears that he shed, but Raphael was there beside him, being the strong one to support the others. The red-wearing cheetah didn't shed any tears, but his sorrow was shown through his mournful silence. Donatello's body shook with grief as his mind tried to accept the horrible news. The others knew how close Don was to Saringai and how hard he was coping with the news. The cheetah let out a sob, and by doing so caused a sharp pain to flow from his bandaged up chest and rib cage. Worried, Leo gave him a light hug and offered a shoulder to cry on, which was already stained with Venus' tears of grief. 

Venus stood in silence, wiping the moisture from her eyes. A tap on the forearm made her recognise an unwelcome face. "Haven't seen you in a while," Galileo said, his sly smile creeping across his face. Before she could reply, he grabbed onto her arm.

"I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't see you, not after yesterday," Venus said coolly, shaking him off her arm. He grabbed her again despite her action.

"You know I don't care about this little tiff between the locals and Shere Khan," Galileo started, holding her arm tighter.

"Well why don't you leave? We're honouring the people who lost their lives yesterday, including my Master," Venus snapped at him; the words bringing tears to her eyes along with the memories of Saringai.

"Yes, I'm so sorry," Galileo said, his voice showing his apathy. He changed his grip and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Don't worry. I'll be your new Master. Shere Khan told me how you'd be a good wife, especially in the bedroom," Galileo whispered in her ear. Her emotions exploded into a saddened anger when she tried to pull him off herself. Leo, finally realising the commotion, intervened.

"You must be Leo," Galileo assumed with disgust. Leonardo pulled out a katana, causing the other male cheetah to back down. "I'll see you later Venus," he called before departing. Both Venus and Leo sighed in relief.

"Are you alright?" Leo asked, reaching out for comfort. Venus turned away from him and nodded, allowing a shudder of remembrance of the rape to flow through her body. Leo gave her a hug and continued to watch the funeral's processions. 

Raifu and Zareb sorrowfully spoke words of thanks before the locals sang the national anthem in harmony. When the procession was over, the crowd started to disperse back from where they came from. The cheetahs stayed by Saringai's grave along with a few others. "So what now?" Raphael worked up the courage to ask Michelangelo. Michael looked up to him with swollen red eyes only to be lost for words.

Leonardo reached into his backpack filled with things they had gathered quickly from their home before the war. His hands weakly pulled out the old and tattered 'Book of Mutants'. All of the cheetahs looked at the object, knowing what Saringai would like them to do. 

Raifu also looked at the book, then sighed and sat down beside the grave. "Will you come with us?" Raphael asked, breaking the awful and saddened silence. The leopard shook his head.

"This is your mission, not mine. You are the State Mutants of Lesotho. I'm not. I belong here," Raifu said bluntly, trying his hardest not to cry in front of them. He would love to spend time with his sons, but he knew he had to let them go. It was their job, as he had said. His heart was bursting with the need to tell them the whole truth that he was their father, and Saringai was Venus'; yet he didn't as it would be too painful for Venus to realise that she had unknowingly lost her father, and the boys would grow too attached and would not leave Lesotho. Yet again, Raifu kept his mouth and heart shut. A small tear trailed down his face; a tear containing pain, loss and regret.

*****

Michael pondered silently on one of the slopes of the many mountains of Lesotho. The strong breeze whipped through his bandanna tails as he gave Kuthixo a gentle pat on the nose. _"Don't blame yourself,"_ the zebra advised him, knowing what Michael was undoubtedly thinking about. An approaching familiar figure made both animals turn around.

Donatello sat down beside Michelangelo. They remained silent for a few seconds. "So, when do you think we should leave Lesotho for Japan?" Donatello finally asked.

"As soon as possible. I'd leave today if I wanted to," Michael said, staring directly ahead while his fingers twiddled with a stick.

"We can't. We have to wait till next year. The book says that State Mutants have to travel around the world every four years. Only three years have past since we have been given the book," Donatello explained.

"So? We'll leave early," Michelangelo replied simply, yet with a slight cheeky tone. There was a rather long silence between the two.

"It's going to take a little while to plan everything. You know, like how we're going to walk around in public and such," Donatello analysed. Michael didn't say anything for a while.

"I just want to leave," Michael said simply, eyes on the grass-covered earth. Donatello looked at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders for comfort.

"Everything's going to be okay. I know that if we stick together, we can get past this," Donatello said softly. Kuthixo joined in the gentle embrace by playfully nibbling on Michael's ear causing the cheetah to smile for the first time since Saringai's death.

*****

__

Somewhere in China…

Chung I stared intently at the glass mirror. His eyes focused strongly on the unnatural rippling on the reflective surface. Mei Pieh Chi, Chung I's apprentice and adopted daughter stood worriedly close by. "Master. What is it about this mirror that interests you so? You haven't left this room for days!" Mei Pieh Chi, the female mutant turtle asked. She clutched nervously on the brown cloak that she was wearing. "Have you stopped talking to me?" She questioned after the Shaman didn't answer. Chung I looked at her in surprise.

"No, no. I haven't stopped talking to you," Chung I said to her in an apologetic tone. He returned his gaze to the mirror. "Hundreds of years ago, a great evil was trapped inside this glass prison. Shinobi Shamans such as myself have guarded it for centuries, but now I fear that this tremendous evil power has arisen once again," Chung I said grimly.

Both the female turtle and the Shaman jumped in fright when a fierce humanoid dragon face protruded from the mirror. His facial features were unknown as his face seemed to be as though he was still part of the reflective surface of the mirror. The dragon gave a low rumbling growl before allowing the mirror to return to normal. Mei and Chung I released the breath they were holding. "I'm afraid that this is just the beginning," the human said to his apprentice.

*****

__

Honshu, Japan. A few hours later…

Beads of sweat dripped down Venus' scaly forehead. She had just woken up from a bad dream… no, a premonition. The female dragon had envisioned everything; the death of Chung I and the release of the first, and the worst State Enemies into New York City.

With shaking hands, she pulled down her blankets and stumbled out of bed, with her reptilian tail following close behind. The dragon hurriedly ran to the others' bedroom and flicked on the light in order to quickly gain their attention. The four male dragons groaned and covered their eyes for a while before listening to what she had to say.

"I had a premonition," she started. "The first State Enemies have been set free. I'm afraid the guardian of the glass prison has been destroyed," Venus said solemnly. The four male dragons looked at her with great worry.

"But this is a premonition, right? He can still be-"

"It's too late for that. Dragon Lord is now running amuck in New York City," Venus informed them. An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Are the New York State Mutants capable of handling such a threat?" Donatello questioned.

"They should be, especially now with The Venus joining them from China. The good thing is that Dragon Lord isn't used to the present day world. He's been trapped in that prison for years, and it will thankfully take him some time to adjust to all of the new advancements in humanity," Venus summarised. Leonardo nodded in agreement. Raphael gave a light growl in frustration, disliking the news he was being told.

"Those State Mutants won't be able to hold Dragon Lord off for long. They're going to need help," Raphael murmured.

"Where's the 'Book of Mutants' being currently held?" Michelangelo asked, glancing around the room at his fire-breathing dragon clan.

"Lesotho, I think. But those State Mutants shouldn't be visiting us until next year," Leonardo said thoughtfully.

"Incorrect. If my meditation was correct, they're coming early," Venus said calmly. The dragons looked around at each other. 

"The New York State Mutants must be told the truth about their existence. We have to get the Lesotho State Mutants to visit them when the time is right. I think we all know that our ninjitsu skills can no longer match the power of Dragon Lord. We have time to blame for that," Venus said softly, announcing the enormity of it all. The dragons had aged considerably since the days when Dragon Lord and his army were first a threat, hundreds of years ago. Yet when the evil humanoid dragon and his followers spent centuries in the glass prison, they didn't age a bit, unlike the first State Mutants.

"Let's just hope that the Second Renaissance is coming soon," Donatello said what everyone else was thinking.

*****

__

Lesotho, one week later…

"We've finally completed them," Donatello announced with Venus standing by his side. The two cheetahs approached the others, holding a number of strange and similar objects in their paws. They had been working on the things for weeks, and their effort showed through their heavily dark and swollen eyelids from lack of sleep. Michael inspected the objects he was presented with. The male cheetah stared at the human skin toned lycra unitard, complete with a rubber human mask including hair. Michael looked at it skeptically.

"I hate to say it, but I don't think these costumes are going to fool any humans," Michael responded bluntly. 

"Yes they will. I coated them with a special type of chi magic, so that when you wear this disguise, the chi will tap into your own, and onlookers will see you, how you yourself want to be seen as a human. But the chi energy coating will have to be renewed every six months though," Venus explained. Michael looked at her blankly and shrugged.

"I totally don't get it, but as long as I look like a human in this getup, I don't care," Michelangelo said before childishly grabbing an outfit to try on. He unzipped the unitard and struggled in, wincing at the lack of space for his tail. Leo and Raph gasped when Michael had finished dressing himself. He looked like a human. His lifelike short black hair rustled with the breeze as his amber eyes observed the expressions of his family. He was quite attractive, but Venus had made it so that he wouldn't be as attractive as Raph or Leo, for her own entertainment. Leonardo and Raphael's mouths were agape while Don and Venus smiled at their combined invention. Astonished at the illusion, Leonardo touched Michael, only to find that his skin felt like that of a human; what he thought a human would feel like at any rate.

"Now, Leo, you get the blonde-haired outfit, while you Raph get the brown. Don and Michael get the similar costumes cause their identical twins," Venus instructed. Raphael stared at the remaining four disguises.

"Can I be Black?" Raph grunted, referring to skin tone. Donatello raised an eye ridge at this.

"No, cause we all have to look the same, otherwise no one will believe that we're all related," Don explained.

"But I always pictured myself as being Black. It's gonna be stupid; having an African accent yet we're White," Raphael complained.

"There are such things as White Africans you know," Leo informed him. 

"You have to find something wrong with everything, don't you?" Don sighed while throwing Raph's costume towards him, ending the argument. 

"That's my job," Raph said smugly before snarling at the difficulty in fitting his tail into the unitard.

"So you're finally leaving," Zareb said as he approached the outside area underneath the tree where the cheetahs had occupied most of their lives. Kuthixo followed him close behind, his head lowered in slight sadness to see them leave. The cheetahs looked to each other.

"I guess we are. We have the costumes, and we're already packed," Leo sighed.

"It'll probably take two days to walk to Maseru," Donatello analysed. Zareb nodded, realising that he might as well say goodbye now.

"It'll be hard to see you guys go. The locals will really miss you. I know I will. But it's something that must be done, so just make sure that you have fun for me, okay," Zareb said with slight sadness. They all nodded. "Good luck," Zareb wished. Kuthixo came forward and allowed Michael to pat his muzzle. The cheetah cheekily mounted the zebra one last time, leaning forward from his position on the back in order to hug Kuthixo around the neck. 

"I'm gonna miss you," Michael whispered. A small tear rolled down his face. He knew he was never going to be composed at good-byes. Kuthixo playfully shook his neck, tickling Michael's face while doing so. The cheetah giggled before slipping off his back, sniffling his tears away while doing so. Zareb and Kuthixo stood beside each other in order to look at the State Mutants one last time.

"Goodbye."

*****

__

Maseru, Lesotho

Don jumped out of the way just in time before a car collided with him. The five disguised mutants stood huddled together, trying to dodge and understand their surroundings. To them, the human capital city of Lesotho was the busiest place on Earth. They were strangers to this world, and frankly, it scared them. Michael frantically looked around before hurriedly pushing his back up against a wall in order to avoid contact with another human. 

The streets were quite open, with a few native plants growing either in the middle of the concrete island, or over on the side of the road. Ibis and other endemic birds nested at the top of the plants, observing the human jungle below them. Run-down shops and other facilities lined the streets, giving only a welcoming feeling to locals of the area. Raphael stared into a restaurant's shop window, hungrily smelling the enticing fumes. "How are we gonna eat? We have no friggen money!" Raph growled, matching the sounds coming from his stomach.

"We'll wait for nightfall. My laptop should be the answer to all of our problems," Donatello boasted.

*****

Two furry hands attached alligator clips to some wires, allowing the security alarm to shut down. Donatello then switched on his flashlight and moved over to the one of the computers so he could hook up his laptop. The rest of his family followed. After a few short moments of typing and clicking, Donatello cracked his knuckles in a 'too easy' attitude.

"I've hacked into the system. Gees, I really thought that the bank's computer files would have been harder to get into," Donatello commented before hacking further into the system. Being satisfied with his findings, he stood up and walked over to the bank's main safe and punched in the combination. The cheetahs moved in and started to collect some of the money.

"I never thought I would ever rob a bank," Leo murmured as he grabbed a handful of notes. They needed to grab a fair amount to cover the costs of money conversions in more developed countries. Though, they didn't need to pay for much, as Don had a plan for overseas plane flights. 

After successfully snatching enough money for the time being, the cheetahs stealthily exited the bank and sneaked into a nearby travel agency using the same methods practiced previously. Don scanned through the lists of plane flights, trying to find a flight to go to Japan. He stopped scrolling when he found one. "Hey, there's a direct plane flight to Japan from Johannesburg, South Africa. There are plenty of available seats. It leaves in three days," Donatello informed the others. "I'll book us on. Okay, so what do you want as a human name?"

"What do you mean? Just use our normal names," Raphael responded without thinking. Donatello wrenched his sight from the screen in order to stare at him.

"So, you really want to be called Raphael Croft? It'll be fine for Italy, but it's a bit weird for any other place around the world," Don explained further.

"Call me Michael Croft," Michelangelo said as he watched Donatello write in the names for the plane seat bookings, and also their new identity.

"Leo Croft's fine for me," Leonardo followed up. Don typed in the fake Ids, before adding in his new name; Daniel. Leo, Michael and Daniel turned to look at Venus and Raph.

"I don't wanna be called Venus," she said softly, thinking of all of the horrible things that had happened to her in the past. She still didn't have her memory, and only called herself Venus because it was written on the mysterious clothing and bag that she had possession of. Venus felt as though the name was associated with Lesotho and her forgotten past. She wanted to move on. Her thoughts were broken when Daniel asked her why. "Well… I want to change it because of that stupid and rude poem Michael made up about my name!" Venus said, covering up the truth, even though a fraction of what she said was true… she hated having her name rhyme with a body part. "Call me Lara," she said finally.

Daniel typed in the name. "Where have I heard that name before?" Daniel wondered.

"Well, if she's calling herself Lara, I'm gonna change my name to Rex," Raphael said.

"I'm so not going to call you that," Leo scoffed.

"Sounds like a dog," Michael added jokingly. Raphael growled.

"Fine, Ramses then," Raphael suggested grumpily. The others gave him a 'I'm-not-calling you-that-either' look.

"We'll just call you Rafe," Daniel said and typed it in. Michael, Leo and Lara agreed.

"What kind of name is that?! You're not calling me that!" Rafe complained as Daniel packed up his laptop. The other three followed suit, slowly getting out of the building.

"Yeah we are, Rafe," Michael said cheekily with a grin, before slapping a high-five with Daniel. Rafe growled once again, knowing that they were just trying to get under his skin. They were doing a good job of it.

"How come I always get stuck with the crap name?" Rafe muttered to a grinning Leo.

*****

Michael looked back at the awesome and majestic mountain peaks which made up his home for most of his young life. He was finally going to leave it all behind. A few more meters ahead was the country's boarder, where their fake pass ports and ID that Daniel made would be looked at. The cheetah sighed. He knew that Shere Khan was still out there… somewhere. Michael couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving, but yet he was too scared to stay. Deep down, he wanted to run away from his problems in Lesotho, as he knew that he couldn't wash the fear and guilt about his Master's death away from his soul.

After a couple of minutes of pass port checking, the five cheetahs had arrived in South Africa. The land ahead of them was new and foreign to them, but they knew that they could make the journey to Japan if they stayed together as a team.

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. Part Two will be done sometime in the not so distant future, I just want to write another fic before I start on it. Part Two will most likely be called The Second Renaissance, so keep an eye out for it. If you didn't understand the section in China, then that may be because of the TMNT:TNM references. I have written a detailed explanation of the show on my webpage. I have also uploaded some of the character profiles on my webpage, and there'll more to come. I don't expect you to understand all of the stuff mentioned by the dragons in Japan just yet. If you were wondering about the name changes for the cheetahs, that's so you won't get confused as much later on when they meet the dragons and turtles in Part 2. R&R! Oh yes, and the final standings are;

hexAdecimal: 15 points

Splinter: 10 points

Raphaella: 5 points

Ricepaper: 10 points


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